The group Americans Against Antisemitism has released an in-depth body of research on acts of violence against Jews in New York, especially New York City – and the research reveals that attacks have been increasing for the last four years. According to the Hate Crime Accountability Project, the vast majority of those inflicting violence on the Jewish community in the Big Apple – contrary to common perception – are members of minority groups, not "white supremacists."
Founder Dov Hikind tells AFN the research raised another question: What has happened to the perpetrators?
"What has happened to the bad guys?" he rephrases. "And what we came up with is a shameful story where there are basically no repercussions. [It shows clearly] you're not going to pay for the hate that you demonstrate against the Jewish people."
In all the 100-plus cases examined, only one perp went to jail – in the others, cases were dropped, hate charges were not applied, and otherwise charges were reduced. In other words, practically no serious consequences or severe punishments were imposed on the criminals.
Americans Against Antisemitism also wanted to know where most of the attacks were occurring.
"Some people think it only happens in some of the Jewish communities where you have people who are identifiably Jewish – you know, Hasidic, wearing the Yarmulke, etcetera, etcetera, in places in Brooklyn," Hikind explains. "We found that different from any group that these hate crimes were happening in over 70% of the precincts of the five boroughs of New York."
That's twice the rate of the next most targeted group. As a result, many Jews are removing anything that identifies them as Jews because of the fear of attacks when they leave their homes in New York City.
For more details from the study:
The Prosecution – or lack thereof – of anti-Jewish hate crimes in NYC
