Following the weekend’s surprise attack on Israel that kicked off a brutal war of reprisals between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced new steps to provide security for the state’s Jewish community.
Fearing the spread of violence to Jewish communities in the United States, Hochul directed New York State Police to increase patrols and outreach, including monitoring of potential targets and vulnerable locations throughout New York. Synagogues, yeshivas and Jewish cultural centers could all see increased security attention for the time being, while online, Hochul called on social media companies to focus on anti-semitism and cease dragging their feet on platform moderation.
“As New Yorkers grieve loved ones impacted by the abhorrent Hamas terror attacks, it’s critical we provide the security necessary for Jewish communities here in New York,” Hochul said. “Immediately following the Hamas attacks, I deployed the New York State Police to increase security measures to protect synagogues, yeshivas, cultural centers and other at-risk sites. Now, it’s time for social media companies to do the same: monitor the speech on your platform and crack down on incitements to violence – before it’s too late.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an international organization dedicated to civil rights and combating antisemitism, noted that on Oct. 6, 2023 – the day before the attack – there were 59 Telegram messages from extremists containing threats and calls for violence against Jews, Israelis and Zionists. The next day, that number surged to 347 Telegram messages, with sentiments trickling out onto other social media.
Notably, the ADL was already locked in a dispute with X, formerly Twitter, over owner Elon Musk’s hands-off approach – or alleged curtailing – of content moderation and promotion of extremists on the social media platform.
In New York, Hochul said the New York State Intelligence Center is utilizing new resources allotted through the FY24 Budget to monitor content on social media and other online channels. No credible threats have emerged since, but she reiterated increased chatter from Neo-Nazis, white supremacists and pro-Hamas elements.
A tip line was consequently set up at 1-866-SAFENYS (1-866-723-3697), and New Yorkers were also encouraged to report suspicious activity to the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ “Safeguard New York” website.