Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker issued a proclamation endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of anti-Semitism.
The administration also released on Feb. 18 its 2020 Massachusetts Hate Crimes Report, compiled from data submitted by law-enforcement agencies across the state. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) received from 95 agencies a total of 385 reports of hate crimes statewide—an increase from the 376 reported in 2019.
Baker re-established the Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes in 2017.
In a statement, he emphasized that “there is no place for hate or discrimination in Massachusetts, and our administration is proud to work with community and faith leaders, law enforcement and others to combat hate crimes and ensure the commonwealth remains a welcoming community to everyone. Building on our ongoing work through the Task Force on Hate Crimes, we are proud today to endorse this updated definition of anti-Semitism to make clear that as the forms of hate and intolerance evolve, so will our efforts to respond.”
The proclamation supporting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism was also signed by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin.
Polito said “combating hate crimes requires constant vigilance, and we have worked with the Task Force on Hate Crimes to better equip our law-enforcement officers, schools and houses of worship to confront these threats. We will continue to work with all these partners to keep our communities safe and welcoming for everyone.”
