NYC Antisemitism Task Force & Synagogue Protest Bill

NEW YORK – The New York ‌City Council announced the launch of a Task Force ​to Combat Antisemitism ‍on Thursday, as hate crimes in the city continue to ‍disproportionately target Jews, including ‌in⁤ several high-profile recent incidents.

The task force was established amid‌ a broader push by members of the council ​to rein in antisemitism. Council Speaker Julie Menin ​also announced legislation to create ‍a buffer zone for protests at sensitive spots, including synagogues.

Inna Vernikov, ‌a Jewish Republican​ representing part of south Brooklyn, will⁣ lead the task force alongside‍ Eric⁢ Dinowitz, a Jewish Democrat from the bronx.⁢ Both are second-term⁢ members of the council.

Vernikov said the bipartisan group ‍will “hold people accountable” for antisemitism and ⁢could serve⁢ as a check on City Hall.

Vernikov brought the idea for the task force to ⁤Menin, who is Jewish and set up the group.Menin has made ‍combating‌ antisemitism a priority as assuming leadership of the council earlier this month, and could act as a moderate counterweight to the city’s ⁣far-left Mayor Zohran ​Mamdani, a longtime anti-Israel activist.

“It won’t just ⁣be a ⁣task force that dose photo ops ‍and a​ couple of ⁢meetings a year,”⁤ Vernikov told ‌The Times of Israel. “It will be a real​ task force that ⁤will strive to bring about meaningful change.”

There will be ‌seven council members⁣ on the ⁤task force,⁣ Jewish and ⁤non-Jewish, out of the 51 total members of the legislative body. The group ⁢will be run ⁤out ⁣of ⁢the council’s Jewish⁤ caucus.

the task​ force will hold hearings ⁣to look into antisemitic ⁢hate crimes and ‍probe antisemitism in areas such ‍as protests, schools, higher‌ education and ​city agencies. Menin⁣ will⁤ be able to use her position as council speaker to issue subpoenas to ⁢compel individuals ⁣to attend hearings. The group ⁤will also suggest legislation to combat ⁤antisemitism, Vernikov ⁤said.

The‍ other‌ members of the task ‌force will be the ​council’s Mercedes Narcisse, Gale ⁢Brewer, Harvey epstein, ⁣Vir

The “safe access bills” will have the ‍NYPD implement a “safety​ plan and a safety risk assessment” ‌that⁣ will “provide law enforcement ⁢and the public with a clear ​framework to ⁢maintain ​safe entry,” Menin ⁣said.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a similar statewide⁣ measure this month that would establish a⁢ 25-foot buffer zone around houses of ‌worship.

The legislation ‌has raised concerns about the First Amendment right‍ to freedom of assembly and may face challenges claiming the measure is ​unconstitutional. Anti-Zionist activists have publicly opposed the proposals, calling them a threat to free speech.

The bill seeks⁤ to strike a ‌balance between the right to protest and the right⁤ to ​religious ‌worship.

“This bill will fully protect First Amendment rights to protest,” Menin said at the council on​ Thursday. “We are not ⁣doing anything in the bills to penalize protest and we want to make sure that people have the right to peacefully⁤ protest. ⁤What we’re trying to do is protect houses of worship and ⁣schools.”

Menin compared the legislation to a 2008 city law that‌ created a ⁣buffer zone around reproductive health clinics in⁤ response to ⁢protests, and added that enforcement of the law ⁣would not be based on protesters’ “speech or viewpoint.”

Also Thursday, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who is Jewish, introduced legislation that ‍would establish a ‍hotline for reporting antisemitism ⁤and other bias incidents,‌ and Dinowitz introduced ⁣a bill ⁤that would require officials to report on the ⁢status of all‍ hate crime cases.

The bills ‍marked the start of the implementation o6440645465′);
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