Former New York assemblyman slams 'radical' Dems, claims they're responsible for antisemitism surge
Former New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind says Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, need to deal with Rep. Ilhan Omar 'in an effective way.'
The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sounded the alarm on the sharp rise in incidents antisemitism, which he said is coming both from the far right and the radical left.
A recent report by the ADL, a civil rights organization dedicated to stopping "the defamation of the Jewish people," showed that antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in 2021, a 34% increase from the past year, and averaging seven incidents per day.
Harassment, vandalism and a 167% increase in antisemitic assault were among the incidents cited by the ADL.
"There's no question that today in America we're living with higher levels of antisemitism than we've ever seen in our lifetimes," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told Fox News Digital at the Milken Institute 2022 Global Conference.
These incidents, though, are not tied to just one end of the political spectrum, he added.
"The reality is that antisemitism comes from many sides. Many organizations, the ADL included, have been very focused on the extreme right in recent years," he said.
People take part in a march crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in solidarity with the Jewish community.
"We also, though, need to be worried about what I'll call the radical left. Vicious anti-Zionist, radical leftist who are might not be armed to the teeth like some of the radical right … but are equally dangerous in terms of their rhetoric, dehumanizing Jewish people, demonizing the Jewish state, and expressing the kind of ugly antisemitism you previously saw in the Soviet Union," Greenblatt said. "So it's really quite despicable."
The ADL’s recent report showed a 94% increase in Anti-Israel/Anti-Zionist incidents, in part fueled by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Greenblatt said he has vocally opposed members of both the far right and the radical left, including Ilhan Omar and other members of The Squad, for antisemitic rhetoric.
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As a former staffer in the Obama White House, Greenblatt said it is "deeply distressing" to see "extremists who have infiltrated parts of the party."
People attend the "NO FEAR: Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish People" event in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Despite this, Greenblatt said he does not support cancel culture.
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"I don’t believe in cancel culture, I don’t," he said. "I believe in counsel culture. We all make mistakes. I believe … we’re all made in the image of God, but we’re all imperfect, we all err."
"I think canceling people because of mistakes they’ve made is wrong. I think you need to call people in before you call them out. I think you need to embrace people who do wrong, before you ex-communicate them."
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ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2021 included several recommendations for policymakers, including speaking out against all forms of hate, increasing security funding for at-risk communal institutions, increased education and improved hate crime data collection.
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