We need to do more to address antisemitism

On Oct. 7, I, like most people, watched in horror as broadcast images from Israel showed terrorists from Gaza indiscriminately killing Israelis. There were unimaginable acts of violence perpetrated against women, children and the elderly whose only sin was that they were of the Jewish faith. Some 1,400 Israelis were murdered and over 200 people were taken as hostages, including some American citizens.
As utterly sickening as those scenes were, some images from here at home were just as repulsive and saddening, specifically the sight of individuals and groups in New York City and other liberal-leaning cities condemning Israel and chanting pro-Hamas slogans. Israel and its citizens were blamed for their own bloodshed by institutions of “higher education” like Harvard and New York Law School, social justice groups like BLM of Chicago, and elected officials like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Instead of condemning the acts of terror, they justified them as acts of “resistance.” As if beheading children, raping women and torturing elderly people are legitimate forms of political resistance.
Let me be clear: The attack on Israel was an unprovoked and unjustified act of evil that should not be tolerated or supported by any decent human being with a heart and a soul. No rational person can label the killing and kidnapping of children, women and the elderly as some form of political retribution for decades of perceived differences. What occurred on Oct. 7 were barbaric crimes against humanity. To anyone who defends the attacks, I would say you should be ashamed of yourself.
For the past four years, I have repeatedly said that the world is upside down — right has become wrong, and good has become evil. But events in Israel have shown that it is more than that: There is a sickness in our country and our culture. When the brutal murder of an Israeli child can be rationalized as some form of political disagreement, we cannot ignore it any longer. It is our obligation to confront the growing hatred directed at the Jewish community.
The Anti-Defamation League found that the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States increased by more than 35 percent from 2021 (2,721) to 2022 (3,697). And the ADL determined that, in 2022, New York state once again had the most antisemitic incidents of any state — a staggering 580, a 39 percent increase from the 416 reported in 2021. Incidents in New York alone accounted for 15.7 percent of all documented antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2022.

Antisemitism is real, and that is nowhere more evident than in New York. If we’re serious about dealing with it here, we must be honest about its root causes and those fermenting the hatred. We must actively and vocally push back against any elected officials who use their positions to push an antisemitic platform.
The Democratic Socialists of America, which has chapters in New York, are rapidly accounting for a greater percentage of the Democratic Party. There are now 34 elected officials in New York who identify as Democratic Socialists, in Congress, the State Senate, the Assembly, the New York City Council and other governmental offices. The DSA has adopted a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel platform, which has resulted in legislation being proposed on the state level that some have called antisemitic. To highlight its core belief, the New York City chapter endorsed a pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square the day after the attacks.
In addition to calling out politicians, we can no longer accept institutions of higher education breeding and fermenting hatred toward Jews. The City University of New York Law School has become known for its anti-Jewish positions. The CUNY Law Faculty Council approved an anti-Israel resolution supporting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. CUNY also allowed a commencement graduation address this spring that accused Israel of “indiscriminate” murder of Palestinians and encouraged people to fight Zionism around the world.
As taxpaying citizens, we must defund schools like CUNY Law School if they continue to support and encourage Anti-Israel language and actions that incite hatred against the Jewish community.
Furthermore, we can no longer allow district attorneys, who were elected to protect the public, to refuse to enforce hate crimes against Jewish victims and instead offer lenient plea deals to criminals. In May 2021, Joseph Borgen, a Jewish man, was savagely beaten and pepper-sprayed by a group of attackers led by Waseem Awawdeh. During the assault, they yelled “F--- Israel. Hamas is going to kill all of you.” Despite all that, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg offered Awawdeh a six-month plea deal, after which Awawdeh said, “If I could do it again, I would do it again.”
We must demand that those who commit antisemitic hate crimes be fully prosecuted to send a message that such bigotry will not be tolerated.
There is a lot of work to do to make New York a safe state for people of the Jewish faith. It will take courage from everyone to stand up to this evil, no matter who is perpetrating or aiding it.

Brian Curran represents the 21st Assembly District.