NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS SHARP INCREASE OF ANTISEMITISM IN VIRGINIA
A new Virginia state report reveals the scope of antisemitism in Virginia and outlines steps to address the problem. In response, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced plans to create the Commission to Combat Antisemitism. The 15-member commission will be headed by Jeffrey A. Rosen, who was an acting U.S. attorney general in the Trump administration.
The panel’s report says there is an alarming national trend of increasing hate toward the Jewish community, including in Virginia. Their report found that, while Virginia's antisemitic assaults have been minimal since 2018, there since has been a spike in harassment and vandalism. In 2021, Virginia had 411 reported antisemitic incidents, which was a 71% increase from the 292 reported incidents in 2020.
The report also said many cases involve white supremacist propaganda, such as flyers and graffiti. Those cases mainly occur around large population centers like Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads. However, over 100 localities across the state have seen the distribution of antisemitic flyers since January 2022.
Keneseth Beth Israel Rabbi Dovid S. Asher said these incidents have become an increasingly common fact of life for the Jewish community, which has forced them to increase security. He said, around his synagogue in Richmond, people have been heckled and verbally abused. He said one person urinated on their building, which has also been vandalized.
The report makes 21 recommendations that aim to reverse these trends. The suggestions include:
- Adding a formal definition of antisemitism into state law.
- Banning government agencies from contracting with companies that take antisemitic positions.
- Increasing police training.
- Improving data collection on hate crimes.
- Creating a new reporting system for incidents that occur in K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
- Expanding K-12 standards of learning on the Holocaust.
- Requiring recognition of religious holidays.
Additionally, the commission said the state should also support youth initiatives to mitigate radicalization and “prohibit indoctrination in public education.”
Democratic lawmakers in Virginia have also called for legislation to fight hate crimes, including former state attorney general Mark Herring. Some praised Youngkin for calling for this report.
Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), who was the first Jewish person and first woman to serve as House Speaker in the Virginia General Assembly, commented that Governor Youngkin needs to do more to condemn antisemitism within his own party, such as his appearing with right-wing figures accused of making antisemitic statements. "We need to hold our Governor accountable for some of the divisive rhetoric that we have seen,” Filler-Corn said. “The Governor’s silence on Donald Trump’s dinner with an avowed antisemite is extremely troubling."
The commission’s report specifically references former President Donald Trump’s recent meeting white supremacist Nick Fuentes and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. “This particular instance was put in the report specifically to point out that antisemitism and expressions of it have become mainstream,” Sandler said, adding that a failure to condemn these acts is a form of condoning them.
The spokesperson for Youngkin said: "The governor condemns all forms of hate speech, white supremacism, and antisemitism. He created a commission to combat antisemitism in his first day in office and would not break bread with white supremacists."
That said, Youngkin has faced criticism for associating with right-wingers who have been accused of making antisemitic statements, such as former Maine governor Paul LePage, who once said that most of Democrats’ money comes from Jewish people. During 2021’s campaign, Youngkin appeared on the radio show of Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration official with ties to antisemitic groups in his native Hungary.
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Sources:
https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/new-report-reveals-severity-of-antisemitism-in-virginia/.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/05/youngkin-virginia-antisemitism-trump-commission/.
