About 63% of hate crimes motivated by antisemitism, FBI director says

WASHINGTON (TND) — While antisemitism is on the rise internationally, there are also staggering numbers of incidents in the United States.

About 63% of religious hate crimes overall are motivated by antisemitism and that’s targeting a group that just makes up 2.4% of the American population,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.

Meanwhile, former President Donald J. Trump, who days after announcing he is running again, had dinner at Mar-a-Lago with outspoken antisemitism and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, as well as rapper Kanye West, who goes by “Ye.”

The dinner was met with fierce criticism from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

There is no room in the Republican Party for anti-Semitism or white supremacy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, shared similar sentiments.

That is just an utter disgrace,” Schumer said. “That is un-American.”

Some Democrats earlier this year also accused by the Anti-Defamation League of espousing troubling rhetoric on Israel, including Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

“You cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel’s apartheid government,” Tlaib said.

Experts caution that criticism of Israel is not the same as blatant anti-semitic rhetoric and also say the troubling trend has been aided, in part, by social media, where many people’s comments are protected by the First Amendment.

Jonathan Greenblatt, who is the CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said there is a limit.

“Freedom of speech isn't the freedom to slander people,” Greenblatt said. “Freedom of expression isn't the freedom to incite violence.”