I find it perfectly plausible that children might have been murdered, on a playground or otherwise, under the killer's assumption that they were Jewish (even though I didn't see any reference to such an act). clearly, Israeli citizens of all stripes are quite likely to be murdered by Palestinians while they go about their normal everyday lives.

What I refuse to accept is the "uninvestigated" part of your assertion, as in depraved governmental indifference to the murder of children in schoolyards. I don't believe any government would sanction such a thing.

As to whether it's a growing problem, that's open to investigation. You may remember quite a period of insanity in the US a couple of years ago when many were claiming the black churches were being burned in some sort of coordinated effort. There were rallies and vigils all over the country. Politicians jumped on the band wagon as they are wont to do, promising investigation and punishment (see link below for summary).

In fact, more white churches had burned than black and black church burings were at an historical low. Federal and private groups were only able to link something like 20 percent of all fires to racially motivated arson. An equal number of black churches were burned by blacks, some in arson-for-insurance fires. In short, the massive country-wide arson attack on black churches was a creation of the media supported and promoted by interested parties.

Like the tidal wave of anti-semitism you cite, there was plenty of reason to believe it was true. There were dozens upon dozens of articles in the press. Many awful things had happened in the past that gave an air of credibility to the claims. But in the final analysis the arson free-for-all did not exist.

Fixation, obsession, media attention, and grandstanding all conspired to build a public perception that did not have any basis in reality. The truth with respect to the church fires is evident - nearly 10 years later you'll be hard pressed to find any ongoing claims or records of prosecutions that substantiate the earlier hysteria.

• http://archives.cjr.org/year/96/5/churches.asp