Governor Gavin Newsom Unveils Plan to Counter Antisemitism and Other Forms of Hate

By the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

SACRAMENTO — Antisemitism has proliferated at a shocking speed in recent years, globally and here in California. Jewish people make up about 3% of California’s population, but anti-Jewish hate crimes accounted for 62.4% of all reported hate crimes involving religious bias in the state in 2022. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which has tracked antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism in the U.S. since 1979, there was an all-time high of 3,697 such incidents in 2022.

In California, Anti-Jewish bias events increased 24.3% from 152 in 2021 to 189 in 2022. And violence and threats have escalated since the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th. This is unacceptable and demands action. This kind of hatred is not new. Targeting Jews with violence has an especially long and horrific history. But that same history teaches us that evil can only prevail if good people sit idly by and do nothing.

As the President reminded us in the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, released by the Biden-Harris Administration in May 2023, “By seeking to turn the masses against the few, by scapegoating and dehumanizing others—and most of all—by stoking violence, the perpetrators of hate aim to upend our most cherished values and undermine our efforts to build a culture of respect, peace, and cooperation. Protecting the Jewish community from antisemitism is essential to our broader fight against al forms of hate, bigotry, and bias—and to our broader vision of a thriving, inclusive, and diverse democracy.”– President Joe Biden California is committed to confronting hate in all its forms and taking action to protect those who are targeted simply because of who they are.

Recent years, however, have seen a troubling spike in reported hate crimes and manifestations of bigotry driven by racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender bias. Few of the communities that make up California’s diversity and strength have been spared, with increases in acts targeting Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinos, Arab Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and religious minorities, including acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia, among others.

In response, California has launched a robust Anti-Hate agenda that includes significant investments and actions to support and protect all the state’s diverse communities from hate-motivated violence, to build mutual understanding and tolerance to prevent acts of hate and bigotry, and to redouble the state’s efforts to advance equity and fight discrimination. This Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism is part of the State’s broader Anti-Hate agenda and California’s ongoing efforts to protect all communities from acts of bigotry and violence.

 “Antisemitism is often called ‘the oldest hatred,’ yet it remains all too present today—including in America.”– The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, May 2023

California is committed to fighting the scourge of antisemitism and protecting our diverse communities. The Newsom Administration and the Legislature have doubled available state funding to $40 million this year for security grants to keep religious institutions and houses of worship safe and to help prevent acts of hate and antisemitism, and strengthened penalties for hate symbols.

To support those impacted by hate, California has invested $150 million to support survivors of hate crimes. To promote respect for our common humanity and cultural differences, the antidote to hate, the Administration has created new educational resources like the statewide CA vs. Hate Campaign, the expansion of ethnic studies and creation of an inclusive ethnic studies model curriculum, and the Governor’s Council for Holocaust and Genocide Education. The Governor also issued an Executive Order directing government agencies to embed equity in their operations, budget, and plans in order to serve all Californians, especially those who have been historically marginalized.

California will continue to lead the fight against racial, ethnic, and religious hate and discrimination wherever it rears its ugly head. Today, the state is announcing further action focused on addressing online hate, supporting local law enforcement in holding perpetrators of hate crimes accountable, expanding awareness of the robust protections and services provided for victims of hate violence and discrimination, and coordinating and aligning efforts across the Administration and all of state government, as well as continued commitment to ongoing engagement with the Jewish community and victims of hate-based violence in any form.

These new efforts will build on the foundation of the robust actions that, in partnership with the Legislature, the Administration has taken to combat all forms of hate, and antisemitism in particular. And the Administration will continue to engage the Legislature in discussions about shared priorities to address this issue, including potential further investments in Stop the Hate, nonprofit security grants, support for local prosecution efforts, and teacher training collaboratives.

The four strategies in this Plan are:

1. Supporting and Protecting Jewish Communities

2. Addressing and Preventing Antisemitism and All Hate and Violence

3. Uplifting Jewish Heritage and Building Mutual Understanding

4. Advancing Equity and Countering Discrimination

Supporting and Protecting Jewish Communities 

Addressing Climate of Antisemitism, Bias, Harassment, and Violence on University Campuses —  The Governor’s Office is in close communication with colleges and universities regarding student safety, belonging, and mental health, especially as acts of hate have escalated in recent months. The Administration calls for strengthening student codes of conduct at California’s state higher education institutions to better address incidents of harassment and intimidation.

The Governor convened a meeting with the leaders of the UC, CSU, and California Community College systems, offering support and strongly encouraging action. The meeting and ongoing partnership was followed up by a letter to the heads of the systems urging them to enforce campus safety policies and cultivate spaces for affinity and dialogue amid rising antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias incidents.

In response, the UC system has announced it is creating a Systemwide Office of Civil Rights at the UC Office of the President and hosting a convening of all campus safety officials by the University’s Systemwide Director of Community Safety to ensure appropriate response to incidents of violence on UC campuses. The UC system is also dedicating $7 million to bring in emergency mental health resources and develop educational programs on better understanding antisemitism and Islamophobia, recognizing and combating extremism, and understanding a viewpoint neutral history of the Middle East.

This effort will include training staff and educators on freedom of expression; academic freedom; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and other key functions of higher education administration as they intersect with this conflict.

The CSU and California Community College systems have established processes to closely monitor campuses to ensure prompt, decisive, and fair implementation of student safety and community policies. Further, campuses are making additional mental health services available to support students struggling with experiences of hate or the stress of global events.

State Nonprofit Security Grant Program —  The Newsom Administration is promoting physical safety and free expression of views, including by expanding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to bolster security for targeted religious and community-based nonprofits.

In October, the Governor authorized $20 million in additional funding to further enhance security at religious institutions, places of worship, and faith-based institutions across the state—funding that responded to heightened fears among California’s faith communities amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In addition to expanding the State Nonprofit Security Grant Program, in October the Governor also authorized $10 million in state funding to immediately increase police presence at places of worship — including synagogues and other Jewish institutions.

Congress should support President Biden’s funding request to further strengthen the security of nonprofit organizations at risk. Governor Newsom will continue to advocate for this action.

California-Israel Relationship — Continue to support and foster California and Israel’s unique, long-standing bond. Over 33,000 Californians were born in Israel. In the past decade, California and Israel have signed multiple MOUs to promote partnership in research and development in critical fields like biotechnology, water conservation, agriculture, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and public health. California and Israel maintain strong academic partnerships– dozens of Israeli scholars currently conduct research at California institutions like Stanford, UCSF, and UC Davis.

California and Israel also have strong economic ties, with $1.96 billion in exports from California to Israel and $1.54 billion in imports from Israel to California in 2022. California is the global or U.S. headquarters for 35 Israeli-founded “unicorn” companies, and California companies are responsible for 20% of all acquisitions of Israeli companies worldwide. In 2022, Israeli-owned enterprises in California provided 6,743 jobs through 131 firms, amounting to $807 million in wages.

Support for Israel — Shipped a field hospital and vital medical supplies to support humanitarian relief efforts in Israel. Supplies arrived in early December. Visited Israel to meet with survivors and impacted families of the October 2023 attacks.

Support for Holocaust Survivors — Providing resources for five Jewish Family Service agencies– in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, the East Bay, and the Silicon Valley– through an unprecedented $46.1 million investment in a California Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program through the 2022-23 budget. These funds may be used to provide services to eligible individuals through June 2025.

Continued Engagement Around Incidents of Antisemitism and Hate Violence — The Governor’s Office will continue holding regular meetings with key stakeholders (faith leaders, university administrators, local officials) related to incidents of antisemitism and hate-based violence and to continue gathering input on further efforts to combat hate.

Addressing and Preventing Antisemitism and All Hate and Violence

Anti-Hate Crime Investments — Investing $150 million for a multi-year Stop the Hate Program to support hate crime and violence prevention programs and provide community services for victims and survivors of hate acts.

This includes about $13 million in grants to 19 organizations focused on religious minorities, including two Jewish-serving organizations this year.

Partnerships with Ethnic Media. (State Library) — The California State Library is awarding grants to ethnic media organizations to build public awareness of community services available through the Stop the Hate Program. So far, approximately $14 million has been awarded to at least 62 ethnic media organizations, including those covering incidents of hate crimes related to antisemitism.

Commission on the State of Hate. –Signed legislation establishing the Commission on the State of Hate to assess data on hate crimes in California, provide a comprehensive accounting of hate activity in California, provide resources for victims, and make policy recommendations to better protect civil rights. The Commission continues to hold public meetings and forums to address recent hate incidents across the state, as well as regular public meetings featuring updates on trends in hate incidents and crime, including the following:

–The Commission on the State of Hate held a public forum on “Experiences with Hate and Bullying Among California Youth” on November 9, 2023, at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and online. Among the students presenting were college and high school students from the Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) and the Islamic Network Group (ING); they both spoke about their experience of hate and discrimination. Other students participating included AAPI Youth Rising, La Puente Dream Center, LA LGBT Center, and Black Youth Leadership Project.

–The Commission has invited representatives from the Anti-Defamation League, the Islamic Network Group, and other CBOs to collaborate on the development of a POST-certified  training to improve law enforcement response to hate crimes and incidents.

–The Commission met on December 8 to discuss threats and harassment directed at public officials, with informational presentations provided by several academics in the anti-hate space.

— The Commission’s meeting on January 24, 2024 included a presentation from Commissioner Levin sharing data about the spike in antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts of hate.

— Assessment of Online Hate Activity in California.  The Commission on the State of Hate is reviewing existing research on the prevalence of hate online and partnering with researchers to develop an accounting of online hate activity in California.

CA vs. Hate —  Launched CA vs. Hate, a new statewide hotline to report hate acts in California.  CA vs. Hate is nurturing community partnerships across the state to ensure that the effort effectively reaches communities, including through contractual relationships with faith-based groups that provide critical insight. These groups include organizations representing communities that are or may be perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, or Arab American.

In the aftermath of October 7,  California’s Civil Rights Department’s CA vs. Hate is conducting additional focused outreach with Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim organizations. CA vs. Hate is sharing information about how organizations and institutions can help the people they serve access services and support through CA vs. Hate, as well as offering to work with organizations to hold webinars that can reach their members to share information about CA vs. Hate and answer questions.

On November 14, 2023, CA vs. Hate participated in a webinar hosted by AJC to share information about the CA vs. Hate resource line and network. Leaders from Jewish Community Centers, Hillels, and other Jewish organizations across the state joined to learn more about how to report hate incidents and crimes. In conjunction with Muslim community organizations, CA vs. Hate hosted a similar webinar reaching Muslim and Arab American community members on January 10, 2024.

On January 18, 2024, CA vs. Hate released new translations of posters and social media graphics in additional languages, including Hebrew.

California Civil Rights Department (CRD) Community Antidiscrimination Training — CRD is offering community anti-discrimination training sessions. In calendar year 2023, CRD conducted around 100 training sessions across the state under this program.

CRD Actions to Expand Awareness of Civil Rights Protections Against Hate and Discrimination. — CRD has issued an action alert and taken steps to increase public awareness of state civil rights laws that protect against antisemitic discrimination and Islamophobia. CRD also continues to engage with local governments to provide anti-discrimination resources and tools as part of this effort.

California Department of Justice (DOJ) Hate Crimes Coordinator — DOJ’s Hate Crimes Coordinator is proactively engaging with District and City Attorneys’ Offices to offer assistance, resources, and training to support them as they handle hate crime cases. DOJ has reached out to District Attorney’s Offices after high-profile hate crime incidents and convened two meetings of hate crimes prosecutors throughout the state. Since October 7, 2023, the Hate Crimes Coordinator has directly spoken with the hate crimes prosecutors in 38 District Attorney and City Attorney offices throughout the state to convey the assistance and resources available to support local hate crimes prosecution and enforcement efforts.

Law Enforcement Summit on Hate Crime Investigation and Prosecution — On January 30, 2024, DOJ and the US Attorney for the Northern District of California convened a summit of local law enforcement and prosecutors to provide training and resources to support local efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and raise awareness of existing resources and support available from the federal and state governments. CRD moderated a panel at the Summit that was focused on the size and scope of hate crime from a data perspective and which included panelists from the FBI, CA DOJ, and Stop AAPI Hate.

Local Agency Reporting of Hate Crimes — Accurate and complete data are critical to understanding the full scope of a problem and responding effectively to address it. Governor Newsom calls on local governments to continue working to improve hate crime reporting, both through building relationships so any targeted individual feels comfortable reporting hate crimes and fully and accurately capturing and reporting hate crime incidents to the DOJ and the FBI.

Strengthening Hate Symbol Penalties — Signed legislation to equalize and strengthen penalties for using hate symbols.

AB2282 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) brought parity to penalties for burning crosses and displaying swastikas and nooses. Previously, using a noose as a hate symbol carried the lightest penalty of the three, while cross burning was the most highly penalized. Under AB 2282, individuals who use any of the three symbols of hate are subject to the strongest of these criminal penalties.

In addition, AB 2282 harmonizes the restrictions on where the symbols can legally be used and expands restricted locations for each; the restricted locations for all three now include K-12 schools, colleges, cemeteries, places of worship, private property (when placed to terrorize the owner or occupant), public spaces, and places of employment, among other locations.

Combating Online Hate — Signed legislation requiring social media companies to post public content moderation policies for online hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism– and report their enforcement of those policies. DOJ is currently defending the law’s legality in the face of a legal challenge filed by social media companies.

Promoting Interfaith Collaboration through Service — California Volunteers will develop partnerships with nonprofit and community-based organizations to host interfaith, intergroup days of service. The Governor encourages local officials, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and the private sector to convene similar service opportunities in communities across the state.

Uplifting Jewish Heritage and Building Mutual Understanding

Taking Action to Fight Antisemitism in K-12 Education — The Newsom Administration is laser-focused on combating antisemitism in K-12 schools, including by bolstering Holocaust and genocide education, ensuring diverse communities are represented in California curricula, including in ethnic studies courses, and requiring that classrooms and course materials remain free of bias, bigotry, and discrimination.

Anti-Bias Training for K-12 Schools — Since the 2020-21 budget year, provided a total of $20 million for anti-bias education grants for schools.

Tracking Instances of Antisemitism and Bias in K-12 Schools — The Governor has requested that the California Department of Education include in its annual report on Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) appeals more detail about the protected classification that was at issue in UCP appeals related to “discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity.”

Holocaust and Genocide Education — Launched the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education, which is tasked with identifying instructional resources to teach California students about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide.

The Council is currently conducting a study of local education agencies to evaluate the current state of Holocaust and genocide education in California. It will be completed in Summer 2024.

The results will be used to develop a report, expected to be released by the end of 2024, with recommendations for how to improve Holocaust and genocide education in our schools and highlighting best practices for educators, schools, and organizations.

The Governor is directing Agencies and Departments within his Administration to leverage the various communications channels across the Administration to elevate the efforts of Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education, such as supporting deployment of the Council’s research and sharing the findings from its report, as appropriate.

Teacher Training Collaborative — Provided $1.9 million through the 2022 state budget to launch the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education to bring together groups who teach this subject matter, create a statewide central website, and establish best teaching practices. By 2027, the California Teachers Collaborative, which unites California’s 14 leading institutions for Holocaust and genocide education and community leaders from diverse ethnic groups across the state, will:

–Train 8,500 teachers through professional development workshops and institutes.

–Serve all California school districts with students grades 6-12.

— Reach more than 1,000,000 California students.

First-in-Nation Ethnic Studies Course Requirement, with a model curriculum that includes lessons on Jewish Americans, and protections from bias, bigotry and discrimination.

California high schools will be expected to offer ethnic studies beginning in the 2025-26 school year, and it is anticipated that a one-semester course in ethnic studies will be required for graduation in the 2029-30 school year.

In 2020, vetoed legislation that would have added ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement based on concerns, echoed by Jewish community leaders and others, that the draft curriculum was insufficiently balanced and inclusive.

Signed legislation in 2021 (AB 101) establishing expectations for local educational agencies (LEAs) with students in grades 9 to 12 to offer at least a one-semester course in ethnic studies beginning in the 2025-26 school year and requiring that curriculum for such courses be appropriate for use with students of all backgrounds and free of bias, bigotry and discrimination. Further, it is anticipated that a one-semester course in ethnic studies will be required for graduation in the 2029-30 school year. The State Board of Education and Department of Education worked to substantially revise the model curriculum based on concerns raised by Governor Newsom in his veto message from 2020- including the inclusion of lessons about Jewish, Sikh, Armenian, and Arab Americans and protection against bias, bigotry and discrimination.

In August 2023, the Newsom Administration wrote a letter to all public school leaders in California highlighting the legal responsibilities to ensure ethnic studies curricula–– which give students a chance to “see” themselves in the fabric of our state–– are appropriate and do not reflect or promote bias, bigotry, or discrimination. The letter raised awareness of reports that some vendors were offering resources that violate the law and encouraged school leaders to exercise caution before entering into contracts for professional development.

The Governor will work with the Jewish Caucus and Legislature to pursue legislation strengthening the guardrails established by AB 101 to ensure all ethnic studies courses are free from bias, bigotry, and discriminatory content.

Representing Diversity in Educational Materials — Signed legislation that, in addition to banning book bans, strengthened existing state laws that require public schools to provide students access to learning materials that properly reflect the reality and contributions of our diverse communities.

Jewish American Heritage Month — Proclaimed May 2023 as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Museum of Tolerance Los Angeles —  Included $2.1 million in the 2023-24 budget to support renovations for the Museum of Tolerance’s 20-year-old Learning Center that has provided diversity training to more than 75,000 California teachers and more than 125,000 California criminal justice professionals.

Holocaust Center in San Francisco — Included $3 million in the 2022-23 budget to support renovations and enhance the Jewish Family and Children’s Services Holocaust Center in San Francisco.

Advancing Equity and Countering Discrimination

Executive Order on Equity — Signed an executive order that required the Civil Rights Department to accelerate implementation of actions to protect communities against hate violence and discrimination. More broadly, the EO directs state agencies and departments to embed equity analysis and considerations in their mission, policy, practices, and all budget change proposals.

Additional Antidiscrimination Efforts by CRD and DOJ — CRD and DOJ are undertaking additional robust antidiscrimination efforts in reaction to the recent uptick in antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and other hate incidents.

On October 13, 2023, DOJ’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section (CRES) issued a law enforcement bulletin regarding rapid response protocols for violence against the Jewish Community.

Also on October 13, CRES issued a law enforcement bulletin that delineates the rights of individuals to protest and demonstrate under the first amendment and other specific California laws.

On October 20,CRES issued a law enforcement bulletin regarding rapid response protocols for violence against Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians.

On November 3, DOJ’sEmployment and Administrative Mandate Section issued a legal alert providing public guidance on speech protections and employers’ obligations to protect employees from discrimination in the workplace.

On November 9,CRES issued a legal alert providing public guidance on students’ free speech rights and schools’ obligations to prevent discrimination and harassment.

DOJ Community Outreach Specialists have shared hate crimes and Victims’ Services Unit resources with community partnerships in their regions to ensure they know they have support and are aware of resources.

The Attorney General met with Jewish leaders, as well as Muslim and Arab leaders throughout the state.

The Office of the Attorney General coordinated an Irvine Hate Crimes Roundtable on October 23, inviting leaders from all communities impacted by hate, including Arab, Jewish, and Muslim leaders.

CRD has joined LA City and the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California for a series of roundtables with Jewish, Muslim, and Arab American community leaders in Los Angeles. On December 12, CRD, LA City, and the U.S. Attorney’s office met with Jewish leaders to share an overview of civil rights enforcement services, how to report acts of hate, and how to get support through CA vs. Hate.

OnFebruary 1, CRD co-hosted a webinar with the US EEOC entitled “Confronting Bias and Hate in the Workplace: Addressing Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Backlash Discrimination.” The webinar featured speakers from an interfaith bureau, including the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Islamic Networks Group.

On March 13,CRD joined LA City and the U.S. Attorney’s office to meet with religious leaders from across faith communities, including Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist faith leaders. CRD shared information about how the leaders can support their respective congregations and communities in understanding and exercising their civil rights. The meeting included an overview of the CRD complaint process, as well as how to expand access to the resources and support that CA vs. Hate offers.

CRD’s CA vs. Hate is joining Not in Our Town and the City of Berkeley in coordinating the 2024 Week Against Hate from September 21-27, and co-hosted the kick off webinar on March 27, 2024 with over 100 local government leaders, community-based organizations, religious organizations, and interfaith groups.

CRD’s Community Conflict Resolution Unit (CCRU) has been invited to join the Divided Community Project, ADL, and Connecting Cultures (an organization focused on enhancing cultural competence with respect to Arab cultures and combating Islamophobia) to provide advice and consultation on the creation of materials to help address tensions on campus.

CRD’s CCRU is also developing its own College/University Student Leader Resource Guide to address urgent needs for tools and information for student leaders amid growing tensions on campuses across the state. While this will be accessible and available to all college students, CRD has focused outreach on students in formal or informal leadership roles. The guide will prioritize information about hate incidents and hate crime definitions, how to report hate and discrimination, and conflict resolution and de-escalation principles used in mediation and negotiation contexts, along with other department tools and resources.

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Preceding provided by the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom