New York Gov. Kathy Hochul used her annual “State of the State" address on Tuesday in Albany, in which she condemned rising antisemitism and announced a proposal to ban demonstrations within 25 feet of any house of worship.
The buffer zones would begin at the property line of synagogues, churches, mosques and temples, “so those who simply want to pray can do so without fear or harassment," she said, as quoted by JNS.
“In 2026, we’ll take new steps to protect our houses of worship against the rising tide of antisemitism and Islamophobia," Hochul said. “New York has already invested $131 million to better secure these sacred places, but clearly, more must be done."
She pointed to recent incidents, noting that the prior week “protesters led pro-Hamas chants outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills."
“That’s not free expression. That’s harassment," she said. “Targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism."
Jewish organizations welcomed Hochul’s focus on combating antisemitism. Agudath Israel of America said her support “will be most helpful to our growing families," and stressed that “our shuls cannot be allowed to devolve into political flashpoints for opportunistic antisemites."
The Anti-Defamation League thanked Hochul for committing to “protect access to houses of worship," saying it looks forward to advancing “safe worship zone laws" to ensure all New Yorkers can enter their religious institutions without fear.
Julie Menin, newly elected speaker of the New York City Council, said Hochul “laid out a clear agenda to address the challenges New Yorkers face every day," including childcare costs, housing shortages, rising utility bills, and public safety.
She said the council looks forward to working with the governor to implement universal childcare and “strongly combat the rising tide of antisemitism and hate."
New York City has seen a sharp rise in incidents of antisemitism since October 7, 2023. Data released last week by the NYPD showed that Jews were targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in New York City last year.
Police recorded 330 antisemitic incidents out of 576 total suspected hate crimes in 2025. The incidents accounted for 57% of all hate crimes reported to police and amounted to a suspected anti‑Jewish incident every 26 hours. Jews make up roughly 10% of the city’s population.
Hochul’s plan comes two months after an anti-Israel protest outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan in November, in which demonstrators chanted “death to the IDF" and “globalize the intifada". The synagogue had rented space to Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that assists Jews moving to Israel.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, already under fire for his anti-Israel stance, was criticized for his initial response to the demonstration, which took place after he was elected but before he was sworn in.
Mamdani’s first reaction, delivered through a spokeswoman, “discouraged the language" used at the protest but also rebuked the synagogue, saying “these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law", though it did not explain what about the work of Nefesh B’Nefesh can be construed as violation of international law.
He later shifted tone and published a clarification which omitted any criticism of the synagogue and emphasized protection of Jewish institutions amid rising antisemitism.