Youngkin issues executive directive to combat antisemitism in Virginia

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) announced Tuesday that he has issued Executive Directive Six, intended to combat antisemitism in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

The directive allows Virginia State Police to operate at a heightened state to identify any threats quickly that are made against places of worship and religious communities. Additionally, it increases safety measures for places of education, requiring state colleges to submit updated safety plans to the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety.

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Youngkin explained that since Hamas’s attack on Israel, he has received growing concerns from members of the Jewish community over antisemitism, along with concerns from the Islam community over “backlash” on the Israel attack.

“And I hear every day as I have visited with many members of these religious communities that they’re afraid,” the Virginia governor explained in an appearance on CBS Mornings. “And I had a family come up to me at a recent gathering, a Jewish family, saying that they’re afraid for their children. And so this is an important moment for us to stand strong against hate, to remind everyone that there is no room for hate in Virginia or America, and we stand up for people’s ability to express their religious freedom.”

Youngkin signed Executive Order Eight in January 2022 to establish the Commission to Combat Antisemitism. The commission released a report late last year with data on what Virginia can do to fight antisemitism.

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On Monday, Youngkin appeared on a podcast and explained that he had ordered his office and political committee not to use the online event organizing platform Eventbrite, citing how Eventbrite removed an event organized by activist Riley Gaines but has not removed events in support of Hamas. The governor has also encouraged others not to use Eventbrite.

“First of all, Eventbrite continues to carry events around Hamas, which is unbelievable, but then, on top of that, to proactively terminate an agreement with Riley is beyond belief,” Youngkin said. “And to say that they are trying to protect some group and not the other, I think, results in the kind of action that I’ve taken.”