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Anti-Defamation League says anti-semitic incidents surge in Florida

Posted at 8:37 AM, Apr 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-25 08:37:15-04

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) -- An advocacy group says anti-Semitic incidents in Florida were on the rise last year.

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The Anti-Defamation League reported Monday that there were 137 anti-Semitic incidents in Florida in 2016, a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

 

Only California, New York and New Jersey had a larger number of anti-Semitic incidents.

The largest number of incidents was harassment.

The ADL said in a statement that there were 119 harassment incidents in 2016, compared with 61 in 2015.

The ADL defines harassment as verbal attacks, slurs and written or electronic communications.

Vandalism incidents dropped to 15, compared with 27 the year before.

South Florida, where the state's largest number of Jews resides, had about two-thirds of the incidents.