Hochul considers NYC subway mask ban in wake of antisemitic, anti-Israel incidents

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering a ban on masks in New York State’s subways following a series of antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in New York City, she announced in a press conference in Albany on Thursday night.

Hochul cited two incidents that she characterized as hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers, the first being on Monday night when “a group donning masks took over subway cars, scaring riders and chanting things about Hitler and wiping out Jews,” and another on Tuesday when “several members of the board of the Brooklyn museum had their homes vandalized in horrible ways.”

“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” said Hochul. “On the subway people should not be able to hide behind a mask and commit crimes.”

Hochul said that her office was working on a solution to the masking issue and was in consultation with New York Mayor Eric Adams and state legislators. She acknowledged that it was a complex issue, as there were many legitimate reasons to wear a mask.

Anti-Israel protesters challenge subway passengers 

The Monday New York City subway incident, which went viral on social media, saw anti-Israel demonstrators challenging passengers: “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist. This is your chance to get out." When no one responded, a man said, “Okay, no Zionists here. We’re good.” 

The protests on Monday were part of a Within Our Lifetime-led “day of rage” in New York City, which saw Hamas, Hezbollah, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine flags waved outside an exhibit on the Nova Music Festival Massacre.

The subway incident occurred near Union Square, where the protesters had assembled, and a “long live October 7” banner was unfurled.  

Hochul incorrectly referenced an incident at Union Square in which a man said, “I wish Hitler was still here — he woulda wiped all you out,” which was also condemned by NYC Mayor Eric Adams in his statement against the series of protests, which he called "pure antisemitism."

As part of the protests, Within Our Lifetime directed participants to take "creative action against the Brooklyn Museum and other cultural institutions, which have previously been a target of action in an effort to have them recognized a supposed genocide in Gaza and cut any potential financial ties to Israel. 

On Tuesday night, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, The homes of Jewish Brooklyn Museum officials were vandalized with fake blood and red inverted triangles used in terrorist propaganda to indicate the targeting of personnel or vehicles with munitions. The move was widely panned by New York politicians, including by progressive leaders such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who were denounced by WOL as backstabbers and supporters of genocide. 

"This is vile and disgusting behavior," Hochul said on Thursday of the incidents. "These abhorrent acts of antisemitism have no place in America but particularly not in the state of New York."

The state police hate crimes task force was working with local police to investigate the incidents, according to Hochul, who announced that she had also directed state police to increase patrols at sensitive locations such as community sites.

WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani on Thursday denied that the museum board was targeted because they were Jewish but because people had "legitimate grievances against the Brooklyn Museum," they refused to make a statement condemning a claimed Gaza genocide. Kiswani also claimed that the NYPD had brutalized her when she had been removed from the museum lobby when she and her followers had attempted to occupy the site in May. 

"Claiming this is about antisemitism is stupid and cheap," said Kiswani. 

WOL issued a statement defending its protest of the Nova Exhibit on Wednesday in which it denied Hamas atrocities such as rape and murder of children and described the exhibit as "Zionist Propaganda and the manufacturing of consent for genocide."

"The Nova music festival was a rave next to a concentration camp — held 3.1 miles away from the wall separating Gaza from the rest of Palestine," said WOL. "We call on everyone everywhere to continue organizing against these institutions, especially those in New York City. We will not condemn October 7th. We will not condemn our people’s resistance forces. We will not condemn the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the Tet Offensive, or distance ourselves from the resistance fighters of the Haitian Revolution."