Acknowledging my counterpart, congressman walker. Im going to repeat what i said previously because our friend who is injured because he tried to wrestle me. [laughter] she has made the decision to briefly pause his career in Public Service. I dont believe it is the last chapter or by any sense of the word, but to say so definitively on the record, its been one of the greatest honors of my life serving on the subcommittee with mr. Walker and i look forward to serving with you in many capacities in the years to come, sir. Throughout the united state states, 2049 carried out by extremist. Since december 23rd the attacks on jews across new york city and each and every one of these attacks there is some elected official in america that says our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and their families after each and every one of these attacks there is some elected official in america who says we must take action. Today that is exactly what we have got to focus on. Why. Why is this happening . How is this happening . Most importantly what we do tomorrow and the next week and the next month today in my Community Jews are afraid to go outside or afraid to speak hebrew in public and afraid to congregate amongst friends and family and afraid to observe the high holy days. Over 100 years ago my greatgrandfather came to new york city fleeing antisemitism he came to america because this country is not just a countr country, it stands for something its a beacon for freedom and today we consider how can we ensure our best days are not in our Rearview Mirror . Considering everything from appointing federal officials fbi task force regulate social media, increase funding to make sure no person is afraid to play at a church or synagogue or mosque. Today we consider the rise of antisemitism across the political spectrum because this isnt a problem for a Political Party and certainly not something we should subject to the hyper partisanship and divisiveness taking over this town. Hopefully for a few hours today we can be a body that considers a problem and solutions to that problem. With that ladies and gentlemen thank you for being here. I would like to acknowledge chairman thompson who is i think the most extraordinary chairman in the history of the United StatesCongress Side defer to you if you like to make an opening statement. Im not used to such nice comments from you. [laughter] thank you for convening this important hearing today. It is for all members of congress to condemn asks of domestic terrorism the issue has been a priority for a long time for this committee as you heard in the may full Committee Hearing confronting the rise of domestic terrorism in the homeland we have seen a dramatic rise of rightwing domestic terrorism including anti somatic violence in recent years. Unfortunately recent events have once again confirmed anti somatic violence is an urgent and growing threat to the homeland. Just last month the jewish communities in new york and new jersey areas were subject to violent acts once again reminded us why it is so important for the federal government to work with state and local partners to combat domestic terrorism. Across the country we see houses of worship and other institutions increasingly targeted thats why i was proud to introduce hr 2476 the american nonprofit organizations against terrorism act of 2019 which authorizes the nonprofit Grant Program. To provide grants to nonprofits and faithbased organizations in urban and rural areas to help secure their families against a potential terrorist attack i am glad the bill passed both the house and the senate i hope the president will sign into law shortly while this is an important step Congress Needs to make sure all precautions are taken to protect communities targeted by hate and violence reevaluating the Grant Program funding levels working with Community Groups and leaders to establish meaningful partnerships to attack this issue i am encouraged dhs released the first ever strategic framework to combat terrorism and violence for i still have many questions for implementation and this strategy appears to be a step in the right direction i look forward to continuing oversight on this issue and working together with stakeholders for the improvement in this effort we hope to hear additional suggestions as to how this committee incur domestic terrorism by protecting Civil Liberties of all Americans Congress must continue to advocate for policies to protect the Jewish Community and all impacted by acts of domestic terror i look forward to hearing testimony from the witness stand thank you chairman for convening this hearing. I yield back to the chair recognizes the Ranking Member from north carolina. I appreciate your genuine passion on this topic thank you for scheduling this hearing with nonprofit groups with important Background Information for todays hearing. We can deny what we see take place but theres no rise antisemitic behavior as increased with the freedom of belief the cornerstone is violated when people cannot gather safely and places of worship are their own house also if they are threatened at work on a College Campus. In the past 14 months since the white supremacist are targeting jews in the United States at the tree of life synagogue there have been multiple deadline antisemitic attacks including san diego in jersey city, and in new york know community is immune to the threat of antisemitism and unfortunately includes areas i represent last year before Rosh Hashanah propaganda was found in later the car was damaged by gunfire outside the Student Center at the university of services marking the end of yom kippur were taking place. The attacks have been rising and the trend is similar across europe for guy remember after the shooting in pennsylvania i remember wanting to reach out to my friends. Anti somatic incidents demonstrate a variety of ideological motivations attacking the tree of life was White Nationalist belief jersey city was connected with no clear Ideological Movement for those attacks and slurs against jews in new york city. And an attack on any is on the faithful and hate crimes must explicitly and soundly be condemned there is no one solution for faithbased attacks that more can be done by the government and the private sector and the Faithbased Community. We have a very distinguished panel of Witnesses Today who offer recommendations including nonprofit security Grant Funding for information sharing i look forward to hearing more about these and other recommendations from all witnesses finally the broad range of hatred in our society has led left too many stars im open to a bipartisan discussion hateful ideologies and recommendations to address these threats to our homeland. We must continue to work in a bipartisan fashion for those problems not only associate with anti semitism but the proliferation of hate and intolerance thank you for appearing today i yield back the balance of my time. Thank you serve. To our panel of witnesses, the ceo of the antidefamation league. Next we are joined by the executive director of the union of Orthodox Jewish congregations of america. I just want to say one thing. We have seen certainly the Orthodox Community disproportionately suffering from a high rate of these antisemitic attacks i have the luxury to step outside my home people not necessarily knowing that i am jewish. Our brothers and sisters do not have that luxury and we do acknowledge this problem and thank you for your leadership. Next professor of law at george mason and finally founder and president of the foundation for the defense of democracy. Without objection statements will be inserted into the record please summarize for five minutes. Chairman, Ranking Member and all distinguished members of the subcommittee thank you for the opportunity to testify today. For more than a century battling antisemitism through justice and fair treatment to all we stand on the front lines of hate in any form and its fair to say the past few years have been the most challenging we have seen in recent memory. From pittsburgh to muncie in jersey city, el paso and orlando. Charleston to christchurch and the list goes on its not just the high profile Violent Attacks i want to talk about today that the kid who snaps the higher hitler salute or the swastika on a garage door a College Campus where jewish students are ostracized for supporting israel. This moment is about women wearing wigs harassed as they ride the subway men in black hats assaulted as they cross the street. The idea a person is not safe in their supermarket or synagogue or in their home just because they are jewish. In fact in the most recent audit of antisemitic incidents we recorded more than 1800 acts of 2018 the third highest total we have seen in 40 years. The result came on the heels of our 2017 audit with a 57 percent surge over the prior year the largest on record and in 2019 in new york city alone there were more anti jewish hate crimes than all put together. Let me surprise you this increase happens against the backdrop of steady relatively low levels of attitudes of the general population that fellow americans are not hating more but a growing group of people acting out on hate. Why is that quick stair leading voices in our nation from both sides of the political spectrum and academic institutions in the media and other stations of public life to normalize antisemitism of globalist controlling government jewish money destroying our borders and loyalty to jewish status and one citizens are attacking the state with the myth that was used throughout history to demonize the jewish people and all of these render it routine. Thats why its so important we call out antisemitism whenever it happens but especially when it is uttered by our own allies and friends. We need leaders to stop politicizing antisemitism no matter what the political affiliation. We need citizens to step up and demand more of people than public life to insist on a zero tolerance policy. Provide logistic knowledge i applaud you for speaking out mister chairman. Second, we have Online Platforms that tolerate antisemitism and hate. Not just adults but children to find horrific hate 365 days a week and someone that has built off the products in Silicon Valley it is impossible it is an amplifier and connector and catalyst it is long overdue to step up and shut down the neonazis Companies Like twitter and facebook to protecting vulnerable losers to protect their corporate profits. I want to follow up this it is not the time we need resources and actions so let me give you some idea what you can do across party lines number one passed the domestic terrorism prevention act that Law Enforcement agencies deal on the homefront and the no hate act which is local Law Enforcement of how to deal with this and pass legislation and pass the never again holick cost education xo children are educated the nonprofit security grants commercial for at risk institutions to meet the need of all faith groups and Community Centers and to encourage the state department violent whites a promised organizations overseas equally violent hate groups at home to be designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations if americans are supporting them and to serve as your partner im grateful for the opportunity i look forward to your questions. Please summarize your statement for five minutes. I am the executive director for Public Policy the largest orthodox Umbrella Organization representing jewish parochial schools around the country in the year 1798 in his letter to Newport Rhode island he ended his letter with a prayer may the children of the stock of abraham dwell in this land continue to marry and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants. While everyone should be in safety and there shall be none to make them afraid. I have been asked to testify here before the subcommittee to describe the problem of the Orthodox Jewish segment of the orthodox Jewish Community and the problem is simply this. Now in the year 2020 the children of abraham are afraid in a way we have never been before. We are in the threat of violence and to shop in the supermarket for groceries. In the United States there has been discrimination for many years as in other places around the world it wasnt of a predominantly violent kind. Jews were gunned down in prayer and shopping for groceries in jersey city. Visibly identifiable have been assaulted on the streets from new york to miami and elsewhere if we wear a hat or a long beard are subject most of the verbal and physical assaults. Anxiety of this new reality in the Orthodox Jewish communities across the entire country there is widespread belief that this wave of physical attacks are an outgrowth of many years of expressions not only anti semitic bias in general that anti orthodox bias in particular that have long gone unreported and and repeated. And then to make anti orthodox and anti orthodox actions. Jackson and local leaders and in the course of doing so those Orthodox Jews invading the community as dirty or religious zealots. Attacked the intervention of the department of justice to resolve those disputes and in the Hudson Valley as a town supervisor to speak of blocking Housing Developments from hasidic view on choose to say if theres any way to choose to live there we will. Days after the shooting which killed two Orthodox Jews , member of the local board of education are brutes to waive bags of money and ask of people in the community at large are brave enough to explore the message the shooters were trying to send. If the celebration attack happened last month they released a video advertisement last summer criticizing an official of an orthodox view and support Housing Development to allow them to move into that area. The video accuse the legislator to plot a takeover of the community to threaten our way of life. The video was taken down. And not part of american society. To amplify an accelerated that jonathan and the adl have well documented. With those semitic accusations that they are attacked assaulted for and abuse. Mister chairman i will conclude these opening remarks i am not without hope to Governor Cuomo and murphy but to undertake concrete action and then make our communities safer go the fact that you and your colleagues have convened this hearing to confront the problem looking at ways to stop it gives me hope and the fact that i is orthodox jew representing my community could join the people of many different faiths to serve on the Advisory Committee from general allen and to make recommendations how the federal government can protect not only churches and mosques and temples. And that we can all Work Together to keep washingtons prayer ally for my community and all faith communities. And we need to join with it a prayer presented in albany new york last week by the rabbi whose home was the side of the attack. He delivered the prayer last week at the governor state of the state address and included in the prayer merciful god give us the courage to overcome tragedy, heal the wounds of hatred and bless us with solidarity for tolerance of brotherhood among all communities. That is a recipe for action and success. We must all join in this effort because as america slides further into the swamp of antisemitism to lose the essential elements to be a beacon of religious freedom in the world. I thank you again for holding this hearing and in advance for the actions for a member of the Advisory Committee i join in the list of recommendations which we will discuss has the hurt one hearing goes on thank you for working with us to combat this situation. Thank you. You may summarize your statement for five minutes. Chairman rose Ranking Member and distinguish members of the committee, thank you. For the opportunity to testify i commend you for holding this hearing talking about it antisemitic terrorism and strongly suggests that makes a significant contribution to the rise of antisemitic domestic terrorism. Predating the jewish nascent nation in the imperialist to conquer their lands over the centuries jews have been persecuted based on their religion and what used to be called their race. Despised for being rich and poor as a capitalist and a communist and as a nationalist. They may be white supremacist or self proclaimed social justice warriors you cannot reason people out of antisemitism because nobody was ever reasoned into it which should be apparent in the 20th century antisemitism culminated in the extermination of the european jew in now its for the extermination of the state has the law and is some one islamic public of iran is candid about their genocidal intentions the Supreme Leader has call