(The Center Square) – A coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, nearly 700 Jewish professors, and others oppose an antisemitism bill sent to the U.S. Senate arguing it’s unconstitutional and doesn’t adequately address antisemitism.
After the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, pro-Hamas riots and violence against Jewish students on college campuses erupted, prompting U.S. Rep. Michael Lawler, R-NY, to file the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
The bill summary states it provides statutory authority to require the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights “to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA’s) working definition of antisemitism when reviewing or investigating complaints of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.” The IHRA definition states, “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
It cites examples of antisemitism occurring in public life, the media, schools and the workplace, including denying the Holocaust, accusing Jews or the state of Israel of inventing or exaggerating it; “calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion; making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews … such as … Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions; denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination … by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” among others.
The bill passed in the U.S. House on May 1 by a vote of 320-91, with 70 Democrats and 21 Republicans opposing it. So far, the Senate has taken no action on the bill.
U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY, the longest-serving Jewish Democrat in the House, strongly opposed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, saying it “may include protected speech in some contexts, particularly with respect to criticism of the State of Israel. … Speech that is critical of Israel alone does not constitute unlawful discrimination.”
Nearly 700 Jewish faculty members from U.S. colleges nationwide agreed, arguing, “Criticism of the state of Israel, the Israeli government, policies of the Israeli government, or Zionist ideology is not – in and of itself – antisemitic.” They urged Congress “to reject any effort to codify into federal law a definition of antisemitism that conflates antisemitism with criticism of the state of Israel,” including codifying the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, “which has been internationally criticized for conflating antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israel.”
Nadler argues the DOE OCR is already investigating discrimination, including claims of antisemitism. The Center Square first reported it’s currently investigating 100 claims of alleged Title VI violations at colleges and universities.
Some House Republicans also opposed the bill, arguing it’s unconstitutional and would criminalize Christian beliefs.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said she opposed it because it “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”
She points to an example that states, “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus are blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”
Bible-believing Christians believe that Jesus, a Jew, fulfills Old Testament prophecies as the Messiah and son of God. They also believe the New Testament gospel accounts, which state that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea, ordered Jesus to be killed after Jewish religious leaders accused him of committing sedition. Christians also point to the biblical accounts of Jesus’ disciple Peter and the apostle Paul, who said he was killed by fellow Jews.
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, said he voted against the “ridiculous hate speech bill” because it was “written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words. The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill.” Citing biblical texts, he said, “The Bible is clear in that its words plainly, textually, would violate this law. That is nuts – and in deep conflict with the First Amendment.”
Last week, President Joe Biden said those calling for the annihilation of Israel and supporting Hamas’ “appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews” was “absolutely despicable and it must stop.”
Nadler and other House Democrats filed a resolution calling for the implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and for increased funding for DOE OCR Title VI enforcement.
I expect this from the Radical Left though I want the names of the ‘Republicans’ who oppose this.
The Judeo/Christian religion of America and Israel,,,IS REAL. The socialist religion of Government in the USA, like the failing one run by Hamas,,,,is a loss. He who is not with us is against us,,,,It’s either the Cross or the double cross of Hamas.????
WHILE doing nothing to the dems, who ALSO Opposed this bill.
Hamas people are Semites. Any anti-Semitic named bills designated to protect Jewish Semites must also protect the terrorists. Duh ! I am so tired of the government telling people what they can and cannot discriminate against with legal fines and jail hovering over our heads to the point of our free speech is no longer in full capability. We might as well just bend over and let the media or some confused controlled politician control our minds that have been relocated by sob sister liberals to the backside of our bodies. Get the government the hell out of the business of free speech killing discrimination, and just let THE PEOPLE speak the truths that set us free, not the lies that divide us by parties, lest America itself become a mere reflection of the same divisive madness that is occurring in the middle east, and has been for centuries. All the politicians have succeeded in doing is handcuffing THE PEOPLE from DISCRIMINATING against common sense evil and in so doing shut down the correcting conversations in fear of being accused of being discriminatory and ostracized. You cannot legislate morality, which these days changes as often as each American nation diminishing Presidential election of whoremongers, terrorist enablers, truth benders, whose native tongue needed to get elected is outright lying and denial of reality. The government needs to step back and let THE PEOPLE sort it out.
inluminatuo: “All the politicians have succeeded in doing is handcuffing THE PEOPLE from DISCRIMINATING against common sense evil and in so doing shut down the correcting conversations in fear of being accused of being discriminatory and ostracized.”
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
IT IS “We the People of the United States” NOT “We the Government”. The government needs to stay out of ones individual personal life, speech and religious beliefs.
Amendment 1 – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
As you all have seen some black leaders comments on the Israeli tragedy shows how a lot of black Americans are supporting this attack on the Jewish nation by making excuses for Hamas – If you are White, Asians, Hispanic, and even middle eastern and anybody who is not black – you ARE justified to feel discriminated by Blacks Americans because you are – and you have every reason not to like black America – As shown for all of us to see and experience its A VERY RACIST BLACK AMERICA indoctrinating a very racist ANTI AMERICAN black supremacism and socialism that is influencing the behavior on these DAs and of the Democratic Party today and putting on display for all of us to see a culture that has been teaching for the past 50 years in their homes and neighborhoods, hate and racism towards the white population – I have experienced racism and abuse from blacks Americans and im not the only one experiencing this abuse – people stop taking their abuse and its time to start calling it out and start calling out the racism’s’ coming from the black community hell bent at hate against the white, Asian and Hispanic while excusing rampant crime by mostly blacks while trying to sell everyone having been victimized by history to excuse not taking accountability and to continue the rampant abuse on the rest of us.
If you are White, Asians, Hispanic, and even middle eastern and anybody who is not black – you ARE justified to feel discriminated by Blacks Americans because you are – and you have every reason not to like black America – As shown for all of us to see and experience its A VERY RACIST BLACK AMERICA indoctrinating a very racist ANTI AMERICAN black supremacism and socialism that is influencing the behavior on these DAs and of the Democratic Party today and putting on display for all of us to see a culture that has been teaching for the past 50 years in their homes and neighborhoods, hate and racism towards the white population – I have experienced racism and abuse from blacks Americans and im not the only one experiencing this abuse – people stop taking their abuse and its time to start calling it out and start calling out the racism’s’ coming from the black community hell bent at hate against the white, Asian and Hispanic while excusing rampant crime by mostly blacks while trying to sell everyone having been victimized by history to excuse not taking accountability and to continue the rampant abuse on the rest of us.
If you are White, Middle eastern, Asias, Hispanic, anybody who is not black – you ARE justified to feel discriminated by Blacks Americans because you are – and you have every reason not to like black America – As Smollett case has shown for all of us to see its A VERY RACIST BLACK AMERICA pushing a very racist black supremacism and socialism that is influencing the behavior on these DAs and of the Democratic Party today and putting on display for all of us to see a culture that has been taught for the past 50 years in their homes and neighborhoods, hate and racism towards the white population – I have experienced racism and abuse from blacks Americans and im not the only one experiencing this abuse – people stop taking their abuse
people stop following the black community racist influence – every city, every town that black America racist influences is a disaster. the crime the racism against everybody and the socialism that is pushed by many influencing everybody else in a very profound negative way is the real problem – and why our used to be allies don’t respect us – what is there to respect right now about the woke. WHAT