Jewish leaders hope to ban most masks in public in NY next year: ‘Nothing political about prejudice’

Jewish leaders say their top priority in New York next year will be to push Albany to pass a law to prevent most mask-wearing in public to thwart hate-spewing bigots and other criminals.

“There’s not a First Amendment right to harass people and commit serious crimes,’’ said state Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx), who is co-sponsoring a bill calling for such a mask ban.

“We will make it unlawful to hide one’s identity to harass, occupy and menace people with impunity,” said Dinowitz, saying such a measure is overdue, given the level of hatred, vandalism and intimidation waged against Jews after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, told The Post, “It’s our top priority in the legislative session in Albany.

“I’m optimistic it will pass, but it’s going to take work,’’ he said. “It’s going to take work to make sure legislators understand, on both sides of the aisle, that there’s nothing political about prejudice.”

Greenblatt, speaking at a Post editorial-board meeting, said civil libertarians such as the New York Civil Liberties Union have claimed such a ban would stifle the free speech of protesters and dissenters, including opponents of Israel.

But at least some mask-wearing protesters and vandals are emboldened to propagate hate because their identities are cloaked, supporters of the bill say.

“There’s freedom of expression. But intimidating people because of their ethnic or religious or any other type of identity is wrong,’’ Greenblatt said.

The proposed bill would exempt individuals who need to wear masks for health or for their religious faith or safety on the job. 

Penalties for those who flout the measure and intentionally wear masks during hate-filled protests, acts of vandalism and other crimes would range from a violation to aggravated harassment, a Class A misdemeanor that could result in one year imprisonment, Dinowitz said.

Long Island’s Republican-run Nassau County approved such a ban in August, and the measure has been upheld in court, at least thus far.

The ADL is part of the #UnmaskHateNY coalition, which is backing the campaign to outlaw “masked intimidation with intent” to harass and terrorize Jews, blacks and other Americans.

The NAACP and National Urban League are among the civil-rights groups that are part of the coalition.
Such bans on hood- and mask-wearing helped expose Klu Klux Klan members who terrorized blacks in the South, supporters noted.

But such face-covering restrictions were repealed, including in New York, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when face coverings were considered essential in curbing the spread of the deadly disease in the peak of the outbreak.

Now, escalating antisemitism in New York has reached a breaking point — with some comparing the city to the 1930s and the rise of Nazism, Jewish leaders told The Post.

For example, hateful vandals splattered red paint on the home of the Brooklyn Museum director and Jewish board members, and at least two homes were also scribbled with a red triangle symbol that Palestinian Hamas terrorists use to denote targets marked for death.

Many other antisemitic crimes have been committed by masked vandals or harassers traveling in groups spreading their hate-filled terror, including in the subway and even Ivy League campuses such as Columbia University in Manhattan.

“There is no constitutional right to intentionally conceal your identity while conducting a Jew-hunt inside of a New York City subway, destroying college property while chanting, ‘Death to Jews!’ or vandalizing the home of a Jewish museum director with antisemitic graffiti solely because of her identity,’’ said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

“These chilling actions hearken back to the intent behind the passage of anti-mask laws at the turn of the 20th century, which was to provide law enforcement the tools they need to hold hate groups such as the KKK accountable.”

In October, the ADL issued a shocking report revealing the number of antisemitic attacks in the US soared 200%, to more than 10,000 incidents, this past year — the most ever recorded by the group tracking Jew hatred and largely fueled by a massive jump on college campuses.

“This legislation is overdue at this point and is needed ASAP. It’s a very high priority, said Dinowitz, a close ally of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a fellow Bronx Democrat.

Hudson Valley Sen. James Skoufis (D-Cornwall), who is vying to become the next Democratic National Committee chairman, is pushing the bill in the upper chamber.

“As we craft this important bill, I am grateful to have the partnership and support of the giants of New York’s civil rights and faith communities,’’ Skoufis said in a statement.

“It’s critical that there’s broad buy-in for this public safety measure to ensure we don’t go another year during which people are attacked by individuals who cover their faces to evade accountability.”

Hochul’s office, asked about the push, referred The Post to the governor’s comments in June, when she expressed support for a mask ban, as has state Attorney General Letitia James.

“People have a right to be safe on our public transportation, walking down the streets in their places of worship,” the governor said at the time.

“And no one should be able to hide under the cover of almost a full-face mask to commit these atrocities against fellow New Yorkers. That’s where we have to draw the line.”

A spokesman for #UnMaskHateNY, a coalition led by civil-rights and faith leaders supporting a reinstatement of New York’s mask ban, said in a statement, “In 2024, the safety situation on campuses, streets and subways deteriorated to a point where masked individuals harassing New Yorkers became an everyday occurrence.

“We need accountability and relief.”

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