Covid-19 lockdown in Britain sparked ‘explosion’ of online Anti-Semitism, Jewish charity says
The spread of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown made anti-Semitism move online, where old stereotypes have found a new platform, British charity Community Security Trust (CST) warned.
The CST's new study released on Thursday is concerned with an “explosion of anti-Semitic discourses.”
This year, anti-Semitic hatred has grown online by four percent, from 332 to 344 incidents.
According to the agency, that makes up 44 percent of the reported incidents this year.
Centuries-old superstitions like the Jews manipulating all of humanity for their own benefit infected the internet this year by those who “seek to spin the pandemic as a tool for antisemitic incitement,” as the CST put it.
Anti-semitic discourse ranges from conspiracy theories about Jewish involvement in creating and spreading Covid-19 to “wishing and hoping that Jewish people catch the virus and die from it.”
Those keen to propagate hate speech have been using tools that have mushroomed during the lockdown to do so. In the first half of 2020, the CST came across 26 anti-Semitic manifestations during online meetings, phone-ins, video conferences and other forms of internet activity. “This is a completely new kind of antisemitic incidents,” the trust noted.
The number of offline incidents however dropped by 13 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period a year before, likely due to overall lockdown restrictions, such incidents were recorded, including assaults, verbal threats, damage and desecration of Jewish property and mass-mailing of anti-Semitic literature.
The actual scale of anti-Jewish hatred could be even wider as not all such offenses are reported to police, the CST suggests.
The CST has been providing “security, training and advice” for British Jews since 1994. It works with police, government and international bodies on Jewish security issues, representing people who seek assistance and protection.
Anti-Semitism is not just the domain of mobs in Britain. Last week, a London-based black rapper Wiley railed against Jews on Twitter comparing them to the Ku Klux Klan.
The CST welcomed the decision of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to suspend Wiley's accounts. Wiley later apologized for “generalizing,” saying his tweets were not directed at all Jews.
This year, anti-Semitic hatred has grown online by four percent, from 332 to 344 incidents.
According to the agency, that makes up 44 percent of the reported incidents this year.
Centuries-old superstitions like the Jews manipulating all of humanity for their own benefit infected the internet this year by those who “seek to spin the pandemic as a tool for antisemitic incitement,” as the CST put it.
Anti-semitic discourse ranges from conspiracy theories about Jewish involvement in creating and spreading Covid-19 to “wishing and hoping that Jewish people catch the virus and die from it.”
Those keen to propagate hate speech have been using tools that have mushroomed during the lockdown to do so. In the first half of 2020, the CST came across 26 anti-Semitic manifestations during online meetings, phone-ins, video conferences and other forms of internet activity. “This is a completely new kind of antisemitic incidents,” the trust noted.
The number of offline incidents however dropped by 13 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period a year before, likely due to overall lockdown restrictions, such incidents were recorded, including assaults, verbal threats, damage and desecration of Jewish property and mass-mailing of anti-Semitic literature.
The actual scale of anti-Jewish hatred could be even wider as not all such offenses are reported to police, the CST suggests.
The CST has been providing “security, training and advice” for British Jews since 1994. It works with police, government and international bodies on Jewish security issues, representing people who seek assistance and protection.
Anti-Semitism is not just the domain of mobs in Britain. Last week, a London-based black rapper Wiley railed against Jews on Twitter comparing them to the Ku Klux Klan.
The CST welcomed the decision of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to suspend Wiley's accounts. Wiley later apologized for “generalizing,” saying his tweets were not directed at all Jews.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
