Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. rose nearly 60 percent in 2017, the largest single-year increase on record, and Jews were the targets of more than 60% of the religious hate crimes in the US, despite Jews being only 2% of the population. Campus anti-Semitic incidents have nearly doubled, two years in a row. Why the rise, and what does it mean for society at large? The Ithaca Coalition for Unity and Cooperation in the Middle East (ICUCME) will explore these questions in its new film series, “Antisemitism around the World.”
The series opens Nov. 27 with “Crossing the Line 2: the New Face of Antisemitism on Campus,” followed by a panel of Cornell University and Ithaca College students talking about their experiences. The event takes place at Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca, at 7:00 PM and is free to the public. ICUCME's “Antisemitism around the World” series will also address the debate about where the boundary lies between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking antisemitism." Does Dr. King’s statement still hold true today? The next two films in the ICUCME film series, beginning with “Antisemitism in the Middle East Today,” will be screened in the spring. ICUCME is a grass-roots anti-racist community organization working to bring a constructive approach into dialogue about Israel and the Greater Middle East. As a non-partisan organization, ICUCME embraces fact-based, respectful dialogue, mutual recognition, and cooperation to promote understanding and support peace in the region. “Antisemitism Around the World” is co-sponsored by the Ithaca Area United Jewish Community and Temple Beth El. Admission to all events in the series is free. For more information about ICUCME, see https://icu-cme.org.
