Hate Groups in Oklahoma

by Leah White, ADL Texoma

The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 with the timeless mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all”. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias through it’s work in 25 regional offices and 1 office in Israel. The ADL Texoma office covers North Texas and Oklahoma. Regional efforts include training law enforcement about hate crimes, extremist groups and international terrorism, safeguarding civil rights and the separation of church and state through legislative and other efforts, fielding incident response, advocating for Israel, and promoting interfaith relations.

In November, Temple Israel presented a program on Hate Groups in Oklahoma. Below is a short summary for those who were unable to attend.

As we all know, there has been a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. From October 7 through November 20, ADL has documented 1,402 antisemitic incidents across the United States—a 315% increase from incidents reported during the same time frame in 2022. At least 280 of these incidents occurred on college campuses. The data includes 35 antisemitic assaults, 241 incidents of antisemitic vandalism, 535 acts of harassment, and 591 anti-Israel rallies with antisemitic rhetoric. The incidents took place in 47 states in the District of Columbia, including Oklahoma. That’s an average of about 25 incidents per day. Keep in mind that Jewish Americans represent 2% of the U.S. population, yet are the targets of 55% of all religion-based hate crimes according to the FBI.

According to the data, much of the antisemitism locally is seen in the form of extremist propaganda. There are a few extremist groups to be aware of that are active in Oklahoma:

• The Goyim Defense League (GDL)—a loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism.
• Patriot Front—a Texas-based white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them alone. 
• Oath Keepers—a large but loosely organized collection of right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights.
• Aryan Freedom Network—AFN is a small but growing neo-Nazi group based in Texas that directs its vitriol at the Jewish, Black, and LGBTQ+ communities.
• QAnon—a decentralized, far-right political movement rooted in a baseless conspiracy theory that the world is controlled by the “Deep State.”
  
  

Each of these groups espouse vitriolic antisemitism and white supremacist themes via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions.

If you or someone you know experience a hate incident, please report it to both law enforcement and ADL. You can report by incidents to ADL by going to www.adl.org/report-incident. It’s a simple form and once submitted, your report is in ADL’s database and will be sent to local staff to follow up with resources and assistance. Reporting to ADL is important because it helps us to follow trends happening regarding hate and extremism and to better prepare for future incidents. The ADL can also track individuals with extremist tendencies and help law enforcement by sharing information. You can also report to the Tulsa Police Department through its non-emergency number at (918) 596-1100 or to the FBI: 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324). ADL Texoma office can be reached via email at: texoma@adl.org.