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During a time when demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza have erupted at colleges across the nation and raised concerns about Jewish students’ safety, the GOP-led House passed a bill on Wednesday that would formalize an interpretation of anti-Semitism and serve as a guide for the enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws, including educational programs.
“The proposal, which passed 320-91 with some bipartisan support, would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal anti-discrimination law that bars discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, or national origin. It now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain,” the Associated Press reported.
The bill, which was introduced by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY), adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, which states that it is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.”
Antisemitism can take the form of verbal or physical acts directed at Jewish or non-Jewish people, their property, Jewish community institutions, or places of worship, the Daily Wire noted.
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I fully support
@RepMikeLawler’s Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023. This bill codifies President Trump’s Executive Order and is an incredibly important step to ensure that Jewish students and community members at America’s universities feel safe once again on campus and sends a clear message that @HouseGOP will not tolerate antisemitism anywhere.”
I fully support @RepMikeLawler‘s Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023.
This bill codifies President Trump’s Executive Order and is an incredibly important step to ensure that Jewish students and community members at America’s universities feel safe once again on campus and sends…
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) May 1, 2024
New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler was one of the bill’s opponents. He claimed in his floor remarks that defining anti-Semitism too narrowly could make it harder to enforce federal civil rights laws.
He added that “contemporary examples” of anti-Semitism are available on the IHRA, and that some of them may involve “protected speech in certain contexts, particularly concerning criticism of the state of Israel.”
Concerning the list, a few Republicans voiced similar concerns about free speech.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, for example, questioned whether Americans should face legal consequences for violating the IHRA’s list of contemporary examples, pointing out that the bill’s text does not define anti-Semitism.
He stated on X that the bill was “poorly conceived and unconstitutional.”
🧵 Today the House will vote on a bill to define antisemitism with the intent to increase prosecutions of activity on campuses.
The bill has a problem beyond violating the 1st Amdt:
The definition of antisemitism appears no where in the bill!
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 1, 2024
Do you agree with all of these examples of antisemitism? Should people in America be prosecuted for saying these things in all contexts? I think not. This is a poorly conceived unconstitutional bill and I will vote no. pic.twitter.com/L3AI5MCFGw
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 1, 2024
The Department of Education would be required to use the IHRA working definition and current instances of anti-Semitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws, according to Lawler’s office, when the bill was introduced in October, just after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel.
The office further stated that using the IHRA definition “in this context is a key step in calling out antisemitism where it is and ensuring antisemitic hate crimes on college campuses are properly investigated and prosecuted.”
The bill is currently on its way to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where there has already been a bipartisan effort to adopt the IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism.
President Joe Biden will decide the fate of the bill if it passes the upper chamber.
On Tuesday, the House Republicans announced an initiative to tackle anti-Semitism in higher education.
The plan calls for multiple committees to closely examine federal funding and tax benefits received by universities, in addition to taking tough measures against foreign students who use their visas to support terrorist organizations while attending American universities.
