WASHINGTON — Religious teams and nonprofits would get a $1.2 billion increase in funding to pay for safety as anti-Jewish and different hate crimes surge, in response to proposed laws introduced Monday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Schumer advised The Post that bigotry is at a “boiling level” after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas murdered greater than 1,400 folks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, prompting lethal retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza.
“The cascade of intolerance has reached a boiling level. So we’d like a stronger federal response,” the New York Democrat mentioned in an interview. He added that scenes from a DC rally Saturday demanding a cease-fire between either side had been “very troubling” as demonstrators painted the White House’s gates crimson and climbed the fence.
“The factor that spiritual leaders, notably our Jewish spiritual leaders, have clamored for is extra money for the ,” he mentioned. “It’s been very profitable, however the cash has kind of run out.”
Schumer mentioned that spiritual teams and nonprofits would get a $1.2 billion increase for safety, in response to proposed laws. Stefan Jeremiah
Congress permitted $305 billion for this system in the newest fiscal yr, which ended Sept. 30. The program, created in 2017, permits establishments to purchase safety tools and to rent contracted safety guards with the cash, however they can’t rent personnel instantly due to the constitutional separation of church and state.
“There was $679 million price of grants that folks utilized for, however solely $305 million was within the invoice,” Schumer mentioned. “So we’re making an attempt to lift it dramatically due to the nice want because the seventh of October.
WorldSees cowl for Wednesday, October 18, 2023. rfaraino
A protestor holds an anti-Israel poster with the message “Keep The World Clean” as college students engaged in a pro-Palestinian walkout at Washington Square Park. James Keivom
“Fewer than half of the people who find themselves entitled [to the funds] acquired it final time, and now after Oct. 7, with over a 300% rise in antisemitic incidents, cash is required greater than ever,” he mentioned.
The program is the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has a present most award of $150,000 per yr.
Schumer’s plan requires $1.22 billion in new spending, together with $1 billion not tied to a selected fiscal yr, $200 million in new fiscal 2024 funding for this system and a further $20 million to spice up this system’s administrative employees.
NYPD Transit Anti-terrorism unit on patrol within the Cortland Street WTC station Friday morning.William Farrington
Posters of kidnapped Israelis had been positioned over with swastikas and accompanied by peace indicators and Jewish stars. Gabriella Bass
“It might be cash for cameras or with fences or doorways, tougher doorways, completely different home windows. It can’t be for personnel instantly, however they’ll rent safety guard companies as properly,” Schumer mentioned.
“Everyone can apply. Muslims are the second most frequent goal, and they’d be capable of apply, too,” famous Schumer, who’s the nation’s highest-ranking Jewish official.
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Jews make up about 2% of the US inhabitants however of reported hate crimes in the newest annual FBI information, which confirmed 1,124 reported anti-Jewish crimes in 2022, up 36% from the 824 such incidents in 2021.
Preliminary information recommend hate crimes concentrating on Jews could have soared by practically 400% because the newest Mideast violence started.
In the 17-day interval after Hamas’ assault on Israel, anti-Jewish crimes reportedly spiked, with 312 from Oct. 7 to 23, 2023, and 190 instantly linked to the battle — up from 64 alleged hate crimes in the identical interval one yr prior, the Anti-Defamation League.
