Incidents in the US in reaction to the War in the Middle East
According to a CNN article, there have been at least 38 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militias since October 17. The increase in attacks started after the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, but Pentagon officials have declined to draw a direct correlation between the increase in attacks and the conflict in Gaza, saying instead that Iran has long sought to force the US from the region.
Antisemitism incidents in US universities
Antisemitism is a growing concern in universities across the United States. According to a recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League, nearly a third of all Jewish students nationwide have experienced antisemitism directly, and the number grows when you add those who’ve witnessed it. The survey also found that incidents of antisemitism are on the rise on college campuses around the nation. A recent study reports that there have been at least 45 antisemitism incidents on US university campuses in just three days. The impact of this rise in antisemitism is being directly felt by Jewish students, who are experiencing harassment, slurs, and even physical violence.
The Anti-Defamation League survey
According to the [Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL)] survey, nearly a third of all Jewish students nationwide have experienced antisemitism directly, and the number grows when you add those who’ve witnessed it. The survey also found that incidents of antisemitism are on the rise on college campuses around the nation . The fifth annual survey found that 52 percent of respondents reported experiencing some form of online hate or harassment in their lifetimes, marking a significant increase from previous years . The survey also found that harassment remains unacceptably prevalent, despite platforms’ efforts to curb it . Marginalized groups, including Jews, women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, experience online harassment based on their identity at disproportionately high levels . Harassment targeting marginalized people because of their identity constitutes hate-based harassment, typically for someone’s gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical appearance, or disability . Hate-based harassment can drive marginalized groups out of online spaces, further undermining democracy and free speech as these spaces become central to public discourse .
The impact of the Israel war on Antisemitism
The ongoing war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas has incited a new wave of threats against Jewish communities in the United States, according to experts. A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that nearly a third of all Jewish students nationwide have experienced antisemitism directly, and the number grows when you add those who’ve witnessed it . The survey also found that incidents of antisemitism are on the rise on college campuses around the nation . A recent study reports that there have been at least 45 antisemitism incidents on US university campuses in just three days . The impact of this rise in antisemitism is being directly felt by Jewish students, who are experiencing harassment, slurs, and even physical violence .
Actions taken by the Biden administration to curb antisemitism
According to a news article, the Biden administration is announcing new actions aimed at combating a dangerous scourge of antisemitic incidents on college campuses across the country in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security will help track and respond to antisemitic threats, including online threats. The administration is also unveiling new actions to combat antisemitism on college campuses after an “alarming” uptick in incidents since the Israel-Hamas war started. In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration has released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This strategy includes over 100 new actions the Administration will take to raise awareness of antisemitism and its threat to American democracy, protect Jewish communities, reverse the normalization of antisemitism.
USA Diplomacy :
The United States has been making efforts to prevent the war between Israel and Gaza from escalating into a wider regional conflict. According to a CNN Article the US is mounting a frantic effort to head off a wider Middle East war. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been on a Middle East shuttle mission to influence Israel as well as key Arab power brokers at a moment of deep peril.
The Middle East is a region of great strategic importance to the United States and the world. It is home to some of the world’s largest oil reserves, and it is a crossroads of international trade and commerce. The region has long been one of the most unstable in the world, and there are no present prospects for change in the near future 1. The instability is the result of ongoing conflicts and tensions, and a variety of political tensions and divisions. It also, however, is the result of a wide variety of long-term pressures growing out of poor governance, corruption, economic failures, demographic pressures, and other forces within the civil sector 1. The U.S. has been making efforts to prevent the war between Israel and Gaza from escalating into a wider regional conflict 2. The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability is a ten-year, whole-of-government effort to foster peace and long-term stability through integrated diplomacy, development, and security-sector engagement . The Strategy seeks to tailor our shared approach to the unique circumstances of each local and regional context, and to elevate local voices to jointly seek on-the-ground solutions to prevent conflict.
I
