Strategies for Local and State Governments: Understanding, Responding to, and Preventing Antisemitism
AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report finds that 41% of American Jews approve of how their state and local governments are addressing antisemitism—higher than approval ratings for Congress or the President—but still a decline from 47% in 2023, underscoring both progress and the need for continued leadership. State and local leaders are often the first line of response to hate, public safety threats, and civil rights violations, and their leadership directly shapes community trust, security, and confidence in government.
Combating antisemitism is not only about responding to hate—it is about strengthening the foundations of healthy communities. Effective leadership advances fundamental American values shared across the political spectrum: civil rights, human dignity, religious freedom, law and order, and public safety. Acting decisively against antisemitism strengthens democratic values and makes clear that hate has no place in our communities.
AJC’s Priority Recommendation for Local and State Governments:
The priority recommendation from AJC is to create comprehensive local or state action plans to counter antisemitism. More information is below, though it is worth noting that most of the following recommendations can be included in such plans.
Understanding Antisemitism
Effective policymaking begins with clarity. Understanding antisemitism enables local and state officials to respond responsibly, communicate accurately, and build trust with constituents.
- Deepen understanding and build awareness:
- Recognize the multiple sources of antisemitism (far-right and far-left political antisemitism, extremism in the name of Islam, conspiracies, and state-sponsored campaigns) to ensure targeted, effective responses.
- Strengthen public understanding through community programming, public education campaigns, and partnerships with local organizations.
- Share educational resources across schools, agencies, and community institutions.
- Distinguish antisemitism from criticism of Israel: Legitimate policy debate differs from holding Jews collectively responsible or questioning loyalty – such rhetoric can contribute to harassment, exclusion, or intimidation.
- Recognize the multiple sources of antisemitism (far-right and far-left political antisemitism, extremism in the name of Islam, conspiracies, and state-sponsored campaigns) to ensure targeted, effective responses.
- Equip educators, state and municipal staff, and law enforcement to recognize and respond to antisemitism, including forms linked to anti-Zionism.
Best Practice: Municipal Leaders Against Antisemitism
Municipal Leaders Against Antisemitism (MLAA) is a bipartisan initiative that brings together elected officials from across Long Island, including all 98 Long Island mayors. MLAA convenes twice annually, with ongoing engagement between meetings, to help leaders identify antisemitism, prevent it proactively, and respond effectively when incidents occur. The initiative also provides a forum for officials to share best practices, discuss challenges in their municipalities, and learn from one another and AJC.
- Strengthen research, data collection, and transparency:
- Fund and utilize data and independent research to better understand trends and guide resource allocation and policy decisions.
- Establish cross-agency data systems to gather information from schools, law enforcement, public health agencies, and civil rights offices.
- Publish transparent, aggregated data on hate incidents to improve accountability and community awareness.
Best Practice: Data Collection
Transition from fragmented reporting to shared, standardized systems, drawing on models like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights which promotes collaboration between government and civil society in OSCE countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America. Governments and civil society jointly collect and report data on hate crimes and civil rights violations using common standards. Transparency builds trust and enables policymakers to design more effective prevention and response strategies.
Responding to Antisemitism
Clear communication and coordinated action reinforce trust and security.
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Lead by example and build trust:
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Political and public leadership
- Address incidents wherever they arise, including within your own circles – not just across the aisle – to affirm that the issue transcends politics.
- Provide timely, accurate information following incidents to prevent misinformation, reduce fear, and reinforce public confidence.
- Engage privately when public statements could escalate a situation.
- Consider designating a staff lead to monitor incidents and coordinate response efforts.
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Cross-agency coordination
- Ensure real-time coordination across enforcement, education officials, emergency management, and civil rights agencies.
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Community engagement
- Maintain ties with local Jewish leaders, AJC regional offices, interfaith coalitions, and community organizations.
- Use advisory groups to maintain dialogue and ensure the community feels heard and supported.
- Establish a commission or task force on hate.
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Political and public leadership
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Bolster security and safety:
- Make certain law enforcement, school administrators, and municipal staff have consistent understanding of response protocols across agencies.
- Ensure law enforcement can identify and respond to state-backed and transnational threats, such as those from Tehran, Beijing, or Moscow, or terror proxies which target Jewish and Israeli communities worldwide.
- Strengthen accountability in education: Support legislation to require all public K–12 schools and public/private colleges to appoint Title VI coordinators and adopt clear grievance procedures to ensure compliance and provide students effective ways to report discrimination.
A Strong Example of State Legislation to Combat Antisemitism in Schools:
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 715, establishing a new Office of Civil Rights within the state educational system with an antisemitism prevention coordinator tasked with handling antisemitic discrimination and speech complaints statewide. Tied to broader efforts to address bias in school, the bill creates formal state infrastructure giving students clear recourse for voicing and resolving claims of antisemitic discrimination in public education.
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Prioritize hate crime reporting:
- Ensure constituents know how to report antisemitic incidents through clear, accessible reporting channels.
- Encourage all law enforcement agencies to report hate crimes via the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
Preventing Antisemitism
Preventing antisemitism requires sustained leadership to build long-term systems, resilience, and risk reduction strategies.
A Best Practice: Scaling a Model Across States
In Germany, the national action plan to address antisemitism is combined with dedicated coordinators and tailored strategies at the state level, creating a coordinated, multi-level system. This framework ensures alignment with broader priorities while enabling tailored local responses, strengthens coordination across agencies and communities, and creates clear points of accountability for prevention, reporting, and response efforts. This coordinated federal model can be used in the U.S. at the state and local level.
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Develop comprehensive state or local action plans
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Action plans provide a clear framework for prevention, coordination, and accountability across agencies.
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While a number of states have taken various legislative or policy steps related to antisemitism, formal strategies specifically to address antisemitism provide the most comprehensive, effective results.
- California and Virginia have published state action plans to counter antisemitism that outline coordinated strategies and actions tailored to their states, and New York has announced comprehensive state action that includes expanded security funding and other measures.
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While a number of states have taken various legislative or policy steps related to antisemitism, formal strategies specifically to address antisemitism provide the most comprehensive, effective results.
- Establish formal cross-agency coordination mechanisms—such as councils or working groups—to align across education, law enforcement, public health, and civil rights agencies.
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Action plans provide a clear framework for prevention, coordination, and accountability across agencies.
A Model State Action Plan to Counter Antisemitism:
New York developed a multi‑pronged plan that provides a statewide framework for addressing antisemitism across education, public safety, mental health, and civil rights enforcement. It includes:
- Creation of a Center for Educational Civil Discourse to combat hate and build safe school environments.
- Improving hate‑bias incident data collection.
- Expanded support for victims of antisemitism.
- Campaigns recognizing unique mental‑health issues affecting Jewish Americans.
- Large funding allocations for law enforcement and hate crime prevention initiatives.
Through this Plan, the state has committed to take meaningful steps to address the issue across New York. It establishes a coordinated policy backbone that localities can build on.
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Strengthen security for Jewish institutions—synagogues, schools, and community centers—by ensuring access to federal and state security resources.
- Establish or allocate additional funds to state nonprofit security grant programs.
- Collate available government resources and funding opportunities in one streamlined location, like the virtual clearinghouse proposed in federal legislation S.2947, the Pray Safe Act, in order to more efficiently connect at risk communities with available resources online.
- Work proactively with Jewish institutions to conduct risk assessments, coordinate emergency preparedness exercises, and ensure security plans are current and clearly understood.
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Counter foreign and transnational threats:
- Coordinate with federal partners, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to identify and respond to state-sponsored threats that often target Jewish and Israeli communities and institutions.
- Provide regular public updates: Work with law enforcement and community partners to share timely information on threats, prevention efforts, and safety measures.
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Train and educate:
- Promote Holocaust education, integrate Jewish studies into curricula, and mark Jewish holidays. Establish education commissions or taskforces focused on enhancing education on Jewish identity and/or antisemitism.
- Strengthen digital and media literacy programs that help individuals identify misinformation and extremist/antisemitic content.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs to ensure programs are current, evidence-based, and aligned with evolving threat environments.
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Build community:
- Use the convening authority of governors, mayors, and municipal leaders to bring together law enforcement, educators, faith leaders, and community organizations before crises occur.
- Join or create a caucus to counter antisemitism or support the Jewish community.
- Use International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) for public reflection and programming, and Jewish American Heritage Month (May) to celebrate Jewish history, diversity, and contributions to American life.
- Support community resilience initiatives: Public events, dialogues, and partnerships that promote understanding and shared responsibility can strengthen social cohesion and reduce the risk of hate incidents.
An Important Note on Enforcement:
Expanding efforts to address antisemitism is needed, yet it is equally important to ensure existing laws and protections are implemented, monitored, and enforced.
Conduct periodic statewide assessments to evaluate laws, training, reporting systems, and security programs to identify gaps, measure progress, and ensure policies remain effective as threats evolve.
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Civil rights enforcement
- Ensure state agencies, schools, and other federally funded institutions understand and uphold federal protections.
- Require schools and federally funded institutions to comply with Title VI protections against discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
- Mandate Title VI coordinators and clear grievance procedures to ensure accessible reporting and timely resolution.
- Provide reasonable accommodations for religious observance and clearly communicate policies.
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Hate crime laws and protections
- Strengthen and enforce hate crime and anti-harassment laws (including cyber or masked harassment, doxxing, swatting, and related threats).
- Implement policies such as safe worship/buffer zones and restrictions on targeted harassment (e.g., flyering).
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Hate crime reporting compliance and data quality
- Require law enforcement agencies to report hate crime data to the FBI.
- Monitor participation in systems like NIBRS and ensure data accuracy and completeness.
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Institutional accountability
- Regularly review agency compliance, response timelines, and case outcomes.
- Establish clear consequences for noncompliance with civil rights protections and reporting requirements.
Key Resources
Educational Resources
- AJC’s Translate Hate, a visual glossary of words and symbols that are antisemitic or can become antisemitic in context
- AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Reports
- AJC’s Recognizing When Anti-Israel Actions Become Antisemitic
- AJC’s 10 Tough Questions on Antisemitism Explained
- IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
- AJC’s A Short Guide to Jewish Religion, Culture, Holiday Observances and 5-Year Calendar
- AJC Mayors United Against Antisemitism
- For additional information, reach out to [email protected]
Practical Resources
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics (Department of Education)
