(Jewish Group) It's time to call violent anti-Semitism what it is: domestic terrorism

The end of 2019 should have been a time of joy for Jewish Americans celebrating Hanukkah and ushering in a new decade. Instead, Hanukkah was marred by numerous acts of violence and other forms of anti-Semitism, leaving Jews questioning how it’s possible that, in 2020, we’re less safe today than ever before in America.

As American Jews grapple with how to combat rising hatred and bigotry, one thing is clear: The perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence must be brought to justice, and our government should ensure not only that they are apprehended and punished, but that we prevent and deter future attacks. Even in this era of partisan polarization, one would hope and expect that our elected officials could agree on the necessity of fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry with meaningful legal action.

This must be a multi-pronged effort, both short and long-term, that includes ensuring that the perpetrators of domestic terrorism are punished as terrorists. Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo accurately described the anti-Semitic knife attack in Monsey, New York as an act of “domestic terrorism.” The same language was used by the FBI in response to the December attack on a kosher market. The FBI made close to 100 arrests and opened 850 investigations tied to domestic terrorism in the first nine months of 2019, culminating in a spate of anti-Semitic violence in and around New York the last week of 2019.

But the label of “domestic terrorism” currently represents no more than words on a page when it comes to the law. More must be done.

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