Anti- Semitic attacks in the US doubled in 2018

Violent attacks against the Jewish community in the United States doubled last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League's annual report.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein (right) comforts a worshipper outside the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California following a mid-worship shooting., Source: AAP

Violent attacks against the Jewish community in the United States doubled last year while overall attacks that also include vandalism and harassment remained near record-high levels, the Anti-Defamation League says.

The Jewish civil rights group released its annual census of anti-Semitic incidents on Tuesday, three days after a gunman opened fire at a Southern California synagogue, killing a woman and wounding three others.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein (right) comforts a worshipper outside the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California. Source: AAP

The New York-based group counted 1879 anti-Semitic incidents - either harassment, vandalism or physical assault - in 2018, a five per cent decrease from the 1986 incidents reported in 2017 but the third-highest total since ADL began tracking the data in the 1970s.

ADL counted 39 cases of physical assaults involving 59 victims in 2018, up from 19 assaults and 21 victims in 2017.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein carried on preaching despite being shot at short range mid-sermon. Source: AAP

The 2018 tally includes the 11 people who were killed and two congregants wounded when a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, the deadliest attack on Jews in US history.

"It's clear we must remain vigilant in working to counter the threat of violent anti-Semitism and denounce it in all forms, wherever the source and regardless of the political affiliation of its proponents," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

In 2018, ADL counted 1066 cases of harassment, defined as a situation in which a Jewish person or group of people "feel harassed by the perceived anti-Semitic words, spoken or written, or actions of another person or group." Last year's tally of harassment incidents was five per cent higher than in 2017.

People gather for an evening vigil for the victims of the Poway synagogue shooting. Source: AAP

"We've worked hard to push back against anti-Semitism, and succeeded in improving hate crime laws, and yet we continue to experience an alarmingly high number of anti-Semitic acts," Greenblatt said.

ADL's report said "known extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideology" were responsible for 249 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018.