39-24 Resolution re Antisemitism 4869-7312-9882 v.1.pdf

39-24 January 9, 2024 RESOLUTION TO CONFRONT, CONDEMN AND COMBAT ANTI SEMITISM WHEREAS, individuals looking to promote hate in the United States have historically exploited and continue to exploit bigotry and weaponize hate for political gain, targeting traditionally persecuted peoples, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and other marginalized groups with verbal attacks, incitement, and violence; and; WHEREAS, harassment on the basis of actual or perceived Jewish ancestry, ethnicity, identity, affiliation, or faith, remains a pervasive and disturbing problem in contemporary American society and fundamentally contradicts the values of our West Orange community; and WHEREAS, antisemitism, violates the basic principles of tolerance, pluralism, and democracy, and the shared values that bind Americans of all backgrounds together; and WHEREAS, incidents of antisemitism in the United States, including in the state of New Jersey, have greatly increased in recent years as evidenced by the following: • In 2022, The Anti-Defamation League’s (“ADL '') Audit of Antisemitic Incidents tabulated 3,697 antisemitic incidents across the United States. This represents a 36% increase from the 2,717 incidents recorded in 2021 and is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. • According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the “FBI”) antisemitic hate crimes rose 25% in 2022 from 2021. The FBI also reported that the number of reported single-bias, anti-Jewish hate crimes rose from 817 incidents in 2021 to 1,122 in 2022 and comprised more than 50% of all religion-based hate crimes in 2022, despite Jews only accounting for 2% of the population in the US; • Between October 7, 2023 and December 7, 2023, ADL recorded a total of 2,031 antisemitic incidents, up from 465 incidents during the same period in 2022, representing a 337% increase year-over- year;