ADL: Virginia one of 9 states "leading" on fighting antisemitism
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Virginia is one of nine states meeting the Anti-Defamation League's standards for combating antisemitism, according to a new report from the group.
The big picture: States and universities, including UVA and George Mason, are facing pressure to adopt laws and policies aimed at battling rising antisemitism. But critics say some of those recommendations may silence criticism of Israel.
Zoom out: The ADL's Ratings and Assessments Institute report says only Virginia, California, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Texas, Illinois and New York were designated "leading states."
- That means those states showed high alignment with ADL's recommendations on responding to rising antisemitism through their laws, policies, and public commitments.
- Virginia and California received the highest marks.
Zoom in: The group specifically noted a few of Virginia's policies since 2022, including:
- Creating a Commission to Combat Antisemitism and an Antisemitism Task Force;
- Gov. Youngkin's directives to improve campus safety at both public and private universities and launch training programs on antisemitism for Virginia law enforcement;
- And Youngkin's order in May telling education agencies to create a way to track reports of antisemitism in schools.
By the numbers: In its report, the ADL said Virginia had "a high level of Israel-related antisemitism" — or 168 incidents — last year.
Yes, but: The ADL has faced criticism from some more left-leaning Jewish organizations over its annual tally of antisemitic incidents that also included campus rallies of students being critical of Israel.
What we're watching: Despite the high rating, the ADL is calling for Virginia to take stronger legislative action against boycotts of Israel.