ADL: The firing against the Pittsburgh synagogue is probably the deadliest attack against Jews in American history



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"It is simply unacceptable that Jews be targeted during a Saturday morning worship, and unthinkable that this would happen in the United States at that time," said the Jewish organization, which traces antisemitic incidents, in a statement statement.

CNN has contacted the non-governmental group for more details and looks forward to hearing from them.

The ADL said Saturday's attack comes at a time when antisemitic incidents and online harassment are on the rise.

According to the latest year of FBI statistics, Jews were victims of more reported hate crimes than any other religious minority in 2016.

That year, 684 anti-Jewish incidents were reported. That's more than the rest of the religion-motivated hate crimes combined, reveal the records.
The FBI will be the main agency responsible for investigating Saturday's deadly shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, considered a hate crime. The alleged gunman allegedly made anti-Jewish statements by shooting.
The FBI qualifies a hate crime offense when there is an additional element of bias. Following these crimes can be nuanced and difficult. Motivations are not always clear and crimes are often not reported by victims or police.
Last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents increased by nearly 60%, the largest increase ever recorded in a year.

The ADL reported 1,986 cases of harassment, vandalism or physical assaults against Jewish people or institutions in 2017. It found 1,267 cases in 2016.

"We are really in a period in our country where there is a general decline in civility," said Aryeh Tuchman, associate director of the ADL's Center on Extremism, when publishing its findings in February. "In the past, people who suppressed their antisemitic tendencies may feel more liberated to express them than before."

The FBI says the numbers are going up

The FBI recorded an overall increase of over 4% in hate crimes reported between 2015 and 2016.
Just three months ago, the Rabbi of the Pittsburgh Synagogue lamented the violence and its inability to fight it

Anti-Islamic (anti-Muslim) crimes accounted for 307 crimes, up 19% from the previous year. This was the largest percentage increase.

The FBI also follows religiously motivated crimes against Eastern Orthodox Christians, other Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Buddhists.

In racial categories, African Americans were the most targeted – in about half of the 3,489 racially motivated incidents reported in 2016.

The FBI said 1,200 incidents were motivated by bias against the victims, based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

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