New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s response to rising antisemitism in the state falls short, Ed Lachterman, supervisor of Yorktown, N.Y., said.
“We need laws with teeth that target the perpetrators of anti-religion violence and harassment,” Lachterman stated in response to the governor’s Jan. 13 State of the State address.
Lachterman argued that proposed protest buffer zones around houses of worship are not enough to address the root causes of antisemitic violence.
“The law should equally prosecute perpetrators of hate speech regardless of the religion under attack,” he said. “No one should feel unsafe in their place of worship.”
Alec Brook-Krasny, a New York State assemblyman, echoed the sentiments, stating that while he was “glad to see a reaffirmed commitment to protecting our houses of worship,” he is concerned with Hochul’s enactment of her plan.
“The governor’s willingness to align herself with radical and out-of-touch policy positions shows how disconnected this administration is from the needs of everyday New Yorkers,” Brook-Krasny wrote.
