Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced $75 million in grants on Tuesday to combat a rise in hate crimes in the state recently, including a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia following the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.
The state designated $50 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies to investigate hate crimes, and $25 million in grants will be available for security funding for places that could be targeted, such as places of worship. The announcement comes after threatening antisemitic remarks were made about Jewish people on an internet discussion board at Cornell University.
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"When our shared values have been put to the test in the past, many New Yorkers have done what's right," Hochul said in an address Tuesday morning. "Today, Jewish New Yorkers are experiencing the greatest increase of antisemitic hate crimes in decades, and I must ask: Where are their allies now? You can vigorously oppose Israel's response following the attack on their people but still be vigorously opposed to terrorism, Hamas, antisemitism, and hate in all of its forms."
New York State Police's social media analysis unit will also be expanded to monitor threats on schools and college campuses, and Jonathan Lippman, a former chief New York Appeals Court judge, will launch an independent, comprehensive review of City University of New York's policies and procedures regarding discrimination, including antisemitism.
"We cannot allow hate and intimidation to be normalized," Hochul said. "We cannot risk losing our identity. New York doesn't tolerate diversity — they celebrate it. Now, we are called to do the same thing this time."
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The remarks come a day after Hochul announced an increase in security at Cornell amid the spike in antisemitic threats against Jewish students. The FBI and local police are looking into the threats against Jewish students, most of which were made online in forums unaffiliated with Cornell. Authorities said the forum posts depicted graphic threats of homicide, sexual violence, and comparisons to animals.
Other Ivy League colleges have also been under a national spotlight since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, as student groups and faculty at the schools have repeatedly expressed support for Gaza. University presidents have also faced scrutiny for their response to campus activity.