U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr suggests the rise of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes in the country are linked to "the crumbling of traditional values."
At a dinner last Sunday of Agudath Israel, an Orthodox Jewish movement, he said "religious persecution has deep roots," but "current anti-religious activity" may be "fueled by increasing secularization.""I wonder whether the denigration of religion in popular culture - the portrayal of those with devoutly held religious beliefs as somehow `strange' - may not contribute to the atmosphere of intolerance and hate."
He added, "I believe that these problems are related, and that the solution requires reinvigorating the strong religious and moral traditions."