U.S. President Donald Trump’s task force to respond to Jew-hatred told the mayors of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston that it plans to visit the cities as part of its probe of antisemitism, it said on Thursday.
The task force intends to meet with mayors, city or district attorneys and local police “soon to discuss their responses to incidents of antisemitism at schools and on college campuses in their cities over the last two years,” Leo Terrell, a leading member of the task force and senior counsel to the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights, told the mayors, Eric Adams (New York City), Karen Bass (Los Angeles), Brandon Johnson (Chicago) and Michelle Wu (Boston).
The task force is “aware of allegations that the schools in their respective cities may have failed to protect Jewish students from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law,” Terrell told the mayors. He added that he aims for the panel “to meet with city leadership, impacted students, local law enforcement and community members as it gathers information about these incidents and considers whether federal intervention is warranted.
“Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses following the horrific events of Oct. 7, 2023,” stated Pamela Bondi, the U.S. attorney general. “Actions have consequences—inaction does, too.”
A spokesperson for the city of Boston told JNS that “Boston has one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in America, a source of pride and strength for our city and our region, and we stand firmly against antisemitism.”
“We were made aware of this inquiry from media reports and will determine the right way to participate as we learn more and discuss with our Jewish community leaders and partners,” the city spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for City Hall in New York City told JNS that “since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism has increased all over our country, including on our streets and college campuses right here in New York City.”
“Immediately, Mayor Adams took a stand to support the Jewish community and condemn this vile, unacceptable and often unlawful behavior. The images and reporting we saw from Columbia University and Barnard College—including calls for an ‘intifada revolution,’ support of terrorist groups and the burning of our American flag—are highly disturbing,” the city spokesperson said.
“Peaceful protests are always welcome in our city, but we will never tolerate discrimination, threatening behavior, trespassing or violence, no matter where it occurs,” the New York City spokesperson told JNS. “Every Jewish student deserves to feel safe to go to class—any silence or inaction from their leaders is unacceptable.”
“Since the start of this administration, we have engaged the New York Police Department, our city agencies and key community partners to address this crisis, and we hope our federal partners will continue to work with us to root out any and all forms of antisemitism and hate in our city,” the spokesperson added.