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A state commission formed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this year to help combat antisemitism released a report this week with more than a dozen recommendations on how to better protect and support Virginia’s Jewish residents.
The report discussed the national rise in antisemitism and seemingly included a thinly veiled criticism of former President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with two public figures who’ve shared antisemitic views.
It also referenced several notable troubling events in Virginia, including the distribution of antisemitic flyers last summer throughout several neighborhoods in Virginia Beach.
The report recommended amending Virginia hate crime statutes to clarify that they apply to Jewish Virginians and providing additional training to state and local police on how to recognize and react to hate crimes. It advised police departments to encourage “proactive policing” near sites of worship during Jewish holy days.
It also suggests providing additional training about doxing to victim witness advocates so they can help prevent hate crime victims from having their personal information, such as home addresses or telephone numbers, shared online.
“It is clear that antisemitism is a wide-ranging problem that cuts across diverse segments of American society,” the document states. “Combatting antisemitism takes the efforts of all in society — whether one is Jewish or not — and all residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia will find themselves in a better place if the scourge of antisemitism is rejected.”
Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, said Wednesday that she has reviewed the report.
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“I am so glad that Gov. Youngkin established this commission,” she said. “I think it’s great that they came up with these recommendations — I look forward to seeing what he does next (with the report).”
The report further advised the commonwealth to pass a law that prevents Virginia from doing business with individuals and entities that participate in the Palestinian-led push to economically harm Israel to protest the treatment of Palestinians, known as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
The report says those efforts are designed to “economically isolate, delegitimize, and destroy Israel as a Jewish state through economic means.”
The report also offered several suggestions for the Virginia Department of Education, including requiring schools to recognize Jewish religious holidays, incorporating the study of ancient and modern-day Israel into world history courses, and providing curricula for Jewish American Heritage Month that celebrates the contributions of American Jews.
In a Monday statement, Youngkin thanked the commission for its work.
“We have challenges in Virginia and we must work together to address them,” he said. “For Virginia to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family, the Commonwealth must welcome people of all faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds with open arms.”
Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com