Anti-Defamation League VP: New York City is in the middle of an 'epidemic' of anti-Semitism

The knife attack Saturday evening that wounded five people attending a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York, has prompted swift condemnation from prominent New York leaders, members of Congress, and presidential candidates, many of whom sounded fearful about the spread of anti-Semitic violence in the United States.

Oren Segal, the vice president of the Anti-Defamation League, voiced that concern as well. In an appearance Sunday on CNN's State of the Union, he told host Jake Tapper that the New York City area — which has recently seen multiple high-profile acts of violence against its Jewish communities — is in the middle of an "epidemic" of anti-Semitic incidents.

He said there's been a 17 percent rise in incidents in 2019, though he added the ADL is still trying to pinpoint the exact reasons for the motivations behind the increase, a priority for the organization. Tim O'Donnell

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