2016 Was an Unprecedented Yr. for Hate in US; Most Hate Groups Maintain Anti-Semitic Views

A report by a civil rights group reveals that the number of hate groups in the United States rose in 2016 -- an unprecedented year for hate -- and most of them subscribe to anti-Semitic views, the JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) website reports today (February 16, 2017).


Last year, 917 hate groups were active, up from 892 in 2015, according to a report released yesterday by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).


The SPLC released a list of the hate groups categorized by types, such as anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT, and anti-Muslim. There is no category for anti-Semitic groups because the vast majority of them are anti-Semitic, according to Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Alabama-based center.


The groups active in 2016 include 99 categorized as neo-Nazi, 100 as white nationalist, 130 as Ku Klux Klan, and 21 as Christian Identity -- a religious movement that says whites are the true Israelites and Jews are descended from Satan. Potok said in a statement in the report, "2016 was an unprecedented year for hate."