Published: Saturday, 12/24/2011

Arab Spring tops events affecting Jews in 2011

BLADE STAFF

NEW YORK — The Arab Spring, the popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa that led to the overthrow of longtime leaders including Moammar Gadhafi of Libya and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, topped the list of 2011 events affecting Jews, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Also among the Top 10 issues affecting Jews were the Palestinians’ bid for statehood, Iran’s defiance over its nuclear program, the prison exchange between Hamas and Israel, the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and several states’ passage of laws aimed at arresting and deporting illegal immigrants.

“This was a year of momentous change across the Middle East, and the reverberations are still being felt in Israel, the United States, and around the world,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the league.

Other issues cited by the league include the killing of Osama bin Laden, an increase in Holocaust trivialization, and renewed concerns about religion in politics.

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