The surge in antisemitism in New York is beyond alarming, and state Attorney General Letitia James shares much of the blame.
James’ record speaks for itself: Under her watch, antisemitic incidents in New York are up 234%.
When these incidents happen, she and her far-left allies turn a blind eye.
This has resulted in real fear among the nearly 2 million New Yorkers who make up New York’s Jewish community.
Jewish schools, community centers and synagogues have had to hire guards, implement checkpoints and spend millions on security measures.
Families have kept their kids home from school, university students have refrained from going to class or taking exams in person, and individuals have shown increased interest in carrying handguns to protect themselves — with concealed-carry applications hitting record levels.
Amid rising antisemitism, Jewish New Yorkers are forced to take their safety into their own hands because the AG is failing to keep them safe.
The right attorney general would put an end to this chaos.
First, the attorney general has the power to enforce safe buffer zones around synagogues and religious services.
Let me be clear: This does not require new legislation, like the bills being debated in the City Council and Assembly.
New York law already makes it a crime to intimidate or interfere with someone going into a house of worship or to make unreasonable noise or disturbance within 300 feet of a religious service.
The AG can enforce these laws now.
And she knows it: She’s used these same laws to enforce buffer zones around other buildings — but not synagogues.
That is a choice.
Second, the attorney general can investigate educational institutions to ensure they’re protecting their students and providing an environment where students can learn without being subject to discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Yet James has essentially ignored numerous reports of rampant antisemitism at universities and even public schools throughout the state.
New York’s Human Rights Law provides protections comparable to federal Title VI protections, and the attorney general can enforce both.
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Again, James knows it: She’s used these laws to protect African-American students in Mamaroneck — but not Jewish students in Manhattan.
That is another choice.
Third, the AG can prosecute crime, including hate crime.
It sounds simple, and yet it must be said and — more important — it must be done.
Menacing, harassment, assault and property damage are all state crimes, and New York law specifically prohibits drawing swastikas on property without the owner’s permission.
When district attorneys decline to prosecute these crimes, as Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg did when he dropped the charges against the individuals who vandalized Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, the attorney general can step in and do it herself.
Letitia James has taken legal action against other individuals and groups for engaging in harassment and intimidation. But when anti-Jewish activists engage in the same behavior, she has taken no action.
That is also a choice.
The reality is, Letitia James’ selective enforcement — and selective blind eye — is a form of antisemitism in itself.
Her record reflects that: Jewish New Yorkers are targeted more than any other group.
More than half of all reported hate crimes target Jewish New Yorkers, even though they make up approximately 10% of the population.
New York needs a prosecutor as attorney general who’ll act to keep every New Yorker safe and pursue criminals evenhandedly — regardless of race, religion or politics.
Doing so will help quash the antisemitic threat.
Letitia James has failed on that front. She’s failed Jewish New Yorkers.
Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration and a partner at Holtzman Vogel, is a candidate for New York attorney general.