New York State Senator Joseph Griffo, a member of the Senate Republican Conference Antisemitism Working Group, issued a statement regarding the recent murders of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. In his statement, Sen. Griffo expressed his disgust over the incident and highlighted growing concerns about antisemitic threats and attacks.
“Like so many others, I am disgusted by the murder of two young Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. While we await more details about this horrific incident, I continue to be disturbed by increasing antisemitic threats, attacks and vandalism here in New York, on college campuses and across the nation,” said Sen. Griffo. He emphasized that “hatred and discrimination should not be tolerated” and stressed that those responsible for antisemitic acts must face consequences.
Senator Griffo also announced that he and the working group will continue advocating for their legislative package aimed at combating antisemitism. This includes several bills such as S.6932 (Lanza), which makes hate crimes bail eligible; S.6842 (Griffo), relating to protections against antisemitism in human rights law; and S.1752 (Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick), known as the “Dismantling Student Antisemitism (DSA) Act.”
Additional proposed measures include enhancing security for synagogues and yeshivas, increasing education on preventing antisemitic behavior, and expanding penalties related to hate crimes involving Nazi symbols or acts of vandalism against pro-Israel materials.
The legislative package also seeks to address issues within educational institutions by prohibiting state funding for colleges allowing terrorist organizations on campus or where staff engage in activities supporting such groups.
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