New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is failing to acknowledge the rise of antisemitism in the state, according to Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY).
“Antisemitic hate crimes have risen to historic highs in New York,” Torres wrote on X, noting that his search for the word “antisemitism” in the Democratic governor’s transcript of her upcoming State of the State turned up nothing.
“Not one mention of ‘antisemitism’ in a 140-page document. Not one mention of ‘antisemitism’ in an hour-long speech,” he wrote. “The scandal is not that Kathy Hochul is failing to combat antisemitism. The scandal is that she is not even trying.”
The ADL reported that antisemitic hate crimes increased by 110% overall in New York in 2023, reaching 1,218 total incidents—the highest number ever recorded by ADL in the state and the second-highest number recorded in any state across the country last year.
Additionally, a report released by law enforcement in New York City found that 26 of the 32 additional incidents investigated by NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force in June 2024 were “anti-Jewish in motivation,” reflecting a 137% increase compared to June 2023.
“The erasure of antisemitism—in particular, the modern mainstream strain that unleashed a tsunami of hate in response to the worst attack of Jews since the Holocaust and a raging multi-front war intent to annihilate the Jewish nation-state—mirrors the erasure of the attack of October 7,” wrote Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism, in response to Torres’ post.
