Earlier this week a Republican antisemitism working group in the New York State Senate released its report and sent Gov. Kathy Hochul legislative recommendations to combat the increasing antisemitic hate crimes and incidents in the state, according to a release from state Sen. Pamela Halming.
According to the release, the group identified more than 10 legislative proposals with five priority recommendations:
1. S.3275: places a definition of antisemitism within the state human rights law; provides that antisemitism that incites, causes or results in any act of violence, or injury to a person, or the damage to or destruction of real or personal property, shall be deemed to constitute a hate crime;
2. S.7752: prohibits students from receiving TAP if engaging in antisemitic behavior;
Addressing antisemitism on college campuses
3. S.7773: creates the “Dismantling Student Antisemitism (DSA) Act” which implements antisemitism awareness and prevention sensitivity training in colleges with consequence of loss of funding;
4. S.8625: enacts the “New York State Antisemitism Vandalism Act” which establishes the crime of vandalism of pro-Israel print and provides a class A misdemeanor for any individual who intentionally destroys, damages, removes any banner, poster, flyer or billboard which is located in a public space, where the intent or purpose of such banner, poster, flyer or billboard is to bring awareness for Israeli individuals who have been victims of a crime, or to positively support the country or citizens of Israel; and
5. S.8774: expands the prohibition of harassing conduct involving Nazi symbols.'
"In light of the ongoing and growing antisemitism surrounding us, we as elected officials must do everything we can to protect New Yorkers from all forms of hate and violence," Senators wrote in a letter to Hochul. "Hate and violence have no place in our state and nation and no one should feel threatened, especially on the basis of their faith."