The latest in our series on crimes of division in America, CGTN looks at an upswing in threats towards the Jewish community.

CGTN’s John Terrett reports.

Philadelphia’s motto, “City of Brotherly Love” seems to have been lacking somewhat towards the Jewish community lately.

In the Mount Carmel Cemetery, a historic burial ground dating from 1890, more than 100 Jewish gravestones were toppled in February and left lying on the ground.

This is not just happening in Philadelphia. In the Midwest, Jewish headstones near St Louis, Missouri were attacked in a similar way.

Almost daily now across America there are reports of telephone threats made against Jewish Community Centers, old people’s homes and schools.

When the gravestones were upended in Philadelphia, the city’s Mayor Jim Kenney said in a written statement: “My heart breaks for the families who found their loved ones’ headstones toppled.  Hate is not permissible in Philadelphia.”

After attacks in New York State, the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio met Jewish leaders in a show of solidarity and said he’s never seen anything like it.

“This is a very troubling reality, this is a moment in time a moment in history where forces of hate have been unleashed and it is exceedingly unsettling.”

The U.S.Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating, but cannot say for sure who is behind the nationwide cemetery attacks and telephone bomb threats.

In the current highly charged political climate, many blame U.S. President Trump for not tamping down hate speech among his supporters during the long election campaign.

The president has spoken out against anti-Semitic attacks and used the opening moments of his first address to a joint session of Congress in February to highlight the problem.

While the authorities investigate the attacks and threats against the Jewish community as hate crimes, for those directly targeted the pain of knowing they and even their deceased relatives are targets is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

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