Michigan Enacts Rep. Orbit's Hate Crimes Law

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently signed NAJL member Rep. Noah Arbit’s hate crimes bill into law.

The hate crimes law would expand the ethnic intimidation law to include protections from violent or threatening behavior that is based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or physical or mental disabilities. Religion, ethnicity, and race were already protected under the ethnic intimidation law and would continue to be protected under the hate crime act.

The law allows a prosecutor to pursue hate crime charges if an individual maliciously and intentionally uses force or violence against a person, causes bodily injury to an individual, stalks a person, damages the property of another or threatens any of those actions based in whole or in part on a person's protected characteristics.

Those protected characteristics under the law include race or color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, ethnicity, national origin or an affiliation with any of those individuals or groups.

Read more here.

NAJL Welcomes News of Ceasefire & Hostage Release Deal

The National Association of Jewish Legislators welcome news of a deal to release dozens of hostages, create a framework for releasing all the hostages, and allow Israel a path forward to protect the safety and security of its citizens.

Every day for over 15 months, our community has held the hostages in our hearts, wept for their plight, prayed for their safe return, and mourned for those who we lost.
 
We've held close our Israeli brothers and sisters who have suffered, been displaced, fought in reserves, struggled to keep their businesses afloat, and worked to keep their families and communities alive.

There is much work to be done and significant uncertainty ahead, but we are hopeful that the first phase of this agreement will pave the way for the remaining hostages to be reunited with their family, for hostilities to end, and for an era of security and rebuilding for both Israel and her neighbors.

We must also thank President Biden and President-elect Trump, for their unprecedented coordination to bring both sides together to get a deal done.

NAJL Breakfast at NCSL Provides Networking, Great Speakers

At this year’s National Conference of State Legislators meeting on August 6, 2024 in Louisville, KY, dozens of Jewish legislators and staff gathered to network, learn and socialize.

We had a some very special guests—including Mayor Craig Greenberg and Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, Anat Sultan-Dadon.

Special thanks to our sponsors, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Federation of Louisville, JCRC of Louisville and Dentons Bingham Greeneberg.

A Passover Message from NAJL

On this Passover...

As we think of the Israelis hostages still in captivity, we pray for their release.

For Jews around the world feeling the darkness of antisemitism, may the light of family, prayer, community and true allyship shine upon us.

We hope the despair in the Middle East can one day soon become hope for peace.

White House & 17 Other Countries Call for Release of Israeli Hostages (Copy)

Today, the United States, along with leaders from 17 countries whose citizens are also held hostage in Gaza, released a joint statement calling on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. As the statement reads, "We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern... We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region."

March for Israel on the National Mall November 14

The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations are hosting a March for Israel on the National Mall in Washington, DC on November 14 at 1pm.

RSVP here for more details.

This march is not intended to suggest that every organization or person in the crowd agrees on every possible issue related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There will be diverse viewpoints.

But we will stand united in our support for the Israeli people, in our demand that the hostages be immediately released, and in countering the scourge of antisemitism threatening communities here and around the world.