|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a decisive move aimed at combatting the alarming rise of hate crimes in New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a comprehensive package of bills targeting 31 offenses to be included under the state’s hate crime statute, as was recently reported in the New York Post. The proposed offenses range from graffiti and arson to more egregious acts such as rape.
Governor Hochul’s announcement came following a poignant roundtable discussion on hate and bias prevention held at John Jay College in the heart of New York City. Addressing the pressing need for legislative action, she emphasized the necessity of expanding the hate crime statute in response to a surge in bias incidents, particularly targeting Jewish and Muslim communities, since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza, the Post report added.
“Racism has been there forever, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia,” Governor Hochul stated, underscoring the enduring nature of these prejudices, the Post report said. “But October 7th was a turning point in our state because we’ve seen a horrific rise in hate crimes directed at Jewish and Muslim neighbors.”
The proposed expansion of the hate crime statute would encompass a broader spectrum of offenses, including sex trafficking and criminal possession of a weapon. According to the report in the Post, Hochul emphasized the urgency of the situation, declaring, “We may not solve it today. But we’re sure as hell going to try because doing nothing is not an option.”
“Complacency can never set in … This is New York,” she added, reaffirming the state’s commitment to combating bigotry and intolerance in all its forms.
Highlighting a recent incident of anti-Semitic graffiti in Westchester County, Governor Hochul underscored the relevance and necessity of her proposed legislative measures. This incident, among many others, serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of visceral Jew hatred in the state.
In early January, a high school girls’ basketball game in Yonkers took a distressing turn when players from the home team directed virulently anti-Semitic slurs at their Jewish opponents, leading to the cancellation of the match. As was reported by the New York Post, the Leffell School, a private Jewish school in Hartsdale, faced off against Roosevelt High School, a public school in Yonkers, in a non-league game that escalated into a disturbing display of reprehensible Jew hatred.
According to the report in the Post, the New York City Public Schools Alliance reported one Roosevelt player snarling, “I support Hamas, you f–king Jew” at a Leffell opponent. The verbal abuse reached a point where security guards had to escort the Jewish players off the court to ensure their safety.
The push for expanding hate crime legislation is not a solitary effort. The Post report indicated that State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee had previously introduced similar legislation in November, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to addressing hate crimes. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has also voiced support for widening the eligibility criteria for hate crime prosecutions.
“Albany needs to close dozens of loopholes in our criminal statutes that prevent hate crimes from being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Senator Hoylman-Sigal remarked, emphasizing the need for legislative action to strengthen legal mechanisms against hate-motivated offenses, the report in the Post said.
“Albany needs to close dozens of loopholes in our criminal statutes that prevent hate crimes from being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Hoylman-Sigal told the Post Thursday.
Since Hamas’ attack on Israel, anti-Semitic threats have surged nearly 400 percent according to the Anti Defamation League.
