‘Day of Hate’ trends on social media to attack Jews on Sabbath

Authorities from coast to coast have warned synagogues, Jewish schools, and institutions of messages being circulated on social media “instructing likeminded individuals to drop banners, place stickers and flyers, or scrawl graffiti” targeting Jews and record video of the attacks.

The NYPD advised officers to maintain “elevated situational awareness” on Saturday, particularly at locations that “might garner higher interest from these types of actors.”

The so-called the “Day of Hate” was discovered last month on extremist social media and communications channels. Multiple groups including the Goyim Defense League, (GDL), National Socialist Movement (NSM), Crew 319, and Clockwork Crew have signed on to participate.

The event is meant as a call to action for followers to conduct in-person propaganda efforts across the US, similar to efforts observed from these groups in the past. Jewish organizations were warned to be on the lookout for antisemitic activity including in-person demonstrations, flyering efforts, stickering efforts, banner drops, and vandalism. Several of these groups have also asked their followers to document their efforts and submit photos and video footage of their activity for use in future propaganda and recruitment videos.

The Goyim Defense League has taken part in very visible antisemitic acts and was cited by the suspect in last week’s shootings of two Jews outside Los Angeles synagogues.

Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism told the Forward, “It’s essentially a hodgepodge of white supremacist organizations, many of which engage in an on-the-ground activity like flyer distribution, banners, protests, that sort of thing.”

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, "Antisemitic messages have also been projected onto sports stadiums, graffitied on college campuses and displayed outside Disney World."

In a Telegram channel, members of Crew 319, a neo-Nazi group who were responsible for a hate-filled flyer campaign in Iowa, called for members to “make your voices heard loud and clear, that the one true enemy of the American people is the Jew.”

Other white supremacist groups have also been invited to get involved and were encouraged to send photos and videos of antisemitic rallies and banner drops to Telegram.

Jewish institutions across the country have sent out advisories and increased security in response to the threats.

Statistics published by the FBI show that over the 10-year period between 2009 and 2018, Jews have consistently been targeted in bias crimes more often than any other religious group. Of the 1,650 hate crime incidents motivated by religious bias recorded in 2019, 60.3 percent targeted Jews.

Jews in New York are currently engaged in a legal battle over new gun laws passed by state Democrats that prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons in “sensitive locations,” including houses of worship. Due to the number of attacks against Jewish institutions, many congregants concealed carry to synagogues.

In July, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act into law in response to the June Supreme Court decision that struck down New York’s strict concealed carry laws. The new law added multiple checks on gun ownership in New York State and prohibited concealed carry permit holders from bringing their firearms into bars, libraries, schools, government buildings, hospitals, and houses of worship.