Gov. Gavin Newsom targets antisemitism in California schools with new law In signing the law, Newsom rebuffed objections from the state's main teachers union and others.

There's a lot of stuff in here that can be used to target Gaza occupation protests as hate crimes and a lot of avenues for people uncomfortable with criticism of Israel to report "antisemitism" and enables schools and law enforcement to respond.

Criticism of a government that is committing genocide is NOT the same as hatred toward a race or religion and FUCK the people trying (blatantly or subtly) to redefine things that way with a rake. Advocating for a free Palestine (as a political entity) is NOT the same as hating Jews and trying to say it is is a form of rhetorical violence. This bill wants to help make that state sponsored and give it teeth. You can look through the text and see the places that are designed for exactly that. Not in provocative or objectionable ways, not in a vacuum. But taken in the context of our current political climate, it's not hard to see.

This bill would establish the Office of Civil Rights, under the administration of the Government Operations Agency, with the purpose of working directly with local educational agencies to prevent and address discrimination and bias, as specified. The bill would require the Director of the Office of Civil Rights to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Office of Civil Rights, in consultation with the State Department of Education and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (A) provide education and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias, (B) share relevant laws and regulations with educational state agencies, school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community stakeholders, and (C) annually submit a report to the Government Operations Agency, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the executive director of the State Board of Education, and the Legislature on the state of discrimination and bias in all local educational agencies, as specified. The bill would also require the Office of Civil Rights to employ the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to, among other things, develop, consult, and provide antisemitism education to school personnel to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism and to make recommendations, in coordination with the executive director of the state board, to the Legislature on legislation necessary for the prevention of antisemitism in educational settings

Without designating officers to protect any other groups (many of which experience far higher rates of discrimination).