[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 9, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
COMMENDING THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO COMBAT HATE 
                                 CRIMES

 Mr. SIMON. Mr President, I rise today to applaud the Anti-
Defamation League [ADL] for their continuing work to expose and combat 
hate crimes, and to bring your attention to their most recent ``Audit 
of Anti-Semitic Incidents.'' For the past 15 years, the ADL has 
compiled data about anti-Jewish attacks. Their efforts in the 
collection of data and the development of programs regarding anti-
Semitic acts increase public awareness of this problem, and help 
generate constructive solutions. I commend the ADL for continuing this 
important endeavor, and would like to share with you some of their 
recent findings.
  Unfortunately, the Anti-Defamation League's 1993 survey indicates 
that the number and severity of anti-semitic hate crimes has worsened 
nationwide. There were 1,867 incidents reported to the ADL from 44 
States and the District of Columbia in 1993 alone. This represents an 
overall increase of 8 percent from 1992, and constitutes the second 
highest total in the audit's 15-year history.
  I was particularly troubled by the dramatic rise in the number of 
personal assaults against Jews. For the third year, the number of anti-
Semitic acts against individuals outnumber the incidents of vandalism 
against institutions and other property. The number of reported 
incidents of assault, threat, and harassment totaled 1,079. This 
represents a 23-percent increase from 1992.
  While these numbers make a dramatic statement about the magnitude of 
anti-Semitic hate crimes, some specific examples more graphically 
illustrate the sad story of hatred present in our society today. The 
ADL reports that in Seattle, a man with neo-Nazi tattoos hit his 
neighbor in the face, pushed his head against a wall, and bit him upon 
learning he was Jewish. In Massachusetts, anti-Semites spray-painted 
Happy Birthday Adolf and swastikas on numerous gravestones, and 
overturned 100 other gravestones.
  Tragically, anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses increased by 7 
percent from 1992. In the past 6 years, such incidents have more than 
doubled. The ADL reports that in a men's room at Florida Atlantic 
University [FAU], anti-Semites spray-painted the message Anti-Semitism 
is alive and well at FAU--we will hang the Jews in the University 
Center on Saturday. In December 1993, vandals scrawled Jews burn in 
Hell on the steps of a predominantly Jewish fraternity at Colorado 
University.
  The ADL's report did contain some encouraging statistics, however. 
The number of anti-Semitic incidents relating to property dropped by 8 
percent. My home State of Illinois, experienced a decline in the number 
of vandalism incidents. Other declining trends continued as well. The 
number of skinhead-related anti-Semitic incidents declined 
substantially, with a 90-percent decrease.
  In closing, I again want to commend the ADL for its outstanding and 
important work. I ask that the following portion of the Anti-Defamation 
League's 1993 audit be printed in the Record.
  The excerpt follows:

                              The Findings

       In 1993, the total number of anti-Semitic incidents 
     reported to the Anti-Defamation League--comprising acts both 
     against property and persons--was 1867. This total, 
     comprising reports from 44 states and the District of 
     Columbia, is the second-highest in the Audit's 15-year 
     history, and represents an overall increase of 8% over the 
     1992 total of 1730. It should be noted that there was a major 
     rise in acts of assault, threat or harassment--i.e., those of 
     a personal nature--which showed an increase of 23%. At the 
     same time, however, there was a drop of 8% in incidents 
     related to property--i.e., vandalism of synagogues, other 
     Jewish property and public property.
       The five states reporting the highest totals of anti-
     Semitic incidents of all kinds in the past year were: New 
     York (273), New Jersey (234), Florida (195), California (191) 
     and Massachusetts (189).
       The 1993 findings maintain several trends noted in ADL's 
     1992 audit:
       (1) For the third straight year, acts of anti-Semitic 
     hostility, mostly against individuals (i.e., the more 
     personalized type of incident, such as threats, assault and 
     harassment)--a total of 1079, or 58% of all incidents--far 
     outnumber incidents of vandalism against institutions and 
     other property--totalling 788 (42% of the overall total). 
     This trend would seem to dovetail with the sense of many 
     observers across the nation that confrontational, ``in-your-
     face'' acts of violence, intimidation and incivility have 
     been growing and spreading in recent years. These anti-
     Semitic acts of personal harassment and assault have risen 
     steadily since 1986; in that 7-year span, such incidents have 
     increased by 245%.
       (2) The disturbing upward trend in campus anti-Semitic 
     incidents continued in 1993, although the dramatic rate of 
     increase slowed: such episodes rose 7% over 1992. In the past 
     six years, campus incidents have more than doubled. Since 
     1990 they are up 28%.
       While there are still significant numbers of campus 
     incidents involving anti-Semitic vandalism, many of the most 
     disturbing recent campus events fostering a sense of outrage, 
     intimidation and harassment among Jewish students involved 
     verbal anti-Semitic attacks by such bigots and demagogues as 
     Louis Farrakhan and certain of his followers, who have made 
     such presentations at numerous schools.
       (3) Finally, within the vandalism category; the number of 
     incidents (352) committed against public property locations--
     e.g., on buildings, bridges, sign posts, etc.--in 1993 was 
     more than twice the number committed against synagogues, 
     schools and other Jewish institutional targets (161). This 
     pattern maintains a trend seen over the previous three years. 
     It indicates that in recent years, as hate crime laws have 
     proliferated and law enforcement action has increased, along 
     with better security measures and awareness by Jewish 
     institutions themselves, the latter are becoming better 
     protected against anti-Semitic hate crime perpetrators--who 
     increasingly are targeting the more numerous and harder-to-
     protect public locations.

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