Jewish organizations welcome legislation introduced by group of bipartisan lawmakers on Wednesday that seeks to codify a working definition of anti-Semitism into the American education system.
Titled the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, the bill was introduced by Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.) in the House of Representatives, and Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in the Senate. It seeks to direct the Department of Education to use the working definition of anti-Semitism that was developed by the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism office in 2010.
A similar bill was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate in 2016.
“The spike in anti-Semitic incidents in schools has forced Jewish students to face prejudice on their campuses, swastikas in their dorms and danger on their school grounds. No student should ever be singled-out or harassed due to their religious beliefs,” she said. “This bill provides the Department of Education with the guidance it needs to properly identify today’s manifestations of anti-Semitism, particularly those incidents that cross the line from protected anti-Israel expression to blatant anti-Semitic acts.”
According to the FBI’s Hate Crime Report, Jewish hate-crime victims outnumber victims of all other religious groups combined. The problem is most serious in U.S. schools. A Brandeis Center/Trinity College study found that 54 percent of Jewish college students reported experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitism in 2014. And a February ADL report found that anti-Semitic incidents in K-12 schools and on college campuses nearly doubled between 2016 and 2017.
“At a time of rising incidents of anti-Semitism, this legislation addresses a core concern of Jewish and pro-Israel students and parents: When does the expression of anti-Semitism, anti-Israel and anti-Zionist sentiments cross the line from First Amendment-protected free expression to harassing, unlawful, discriminatory conduct?” posed ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.
“While most incidents of anti-Semitism on campus are unrelated to anti-Israel activity, the Departments of Education and Justice should have the authority to investigate instances in which anti-Israel activity crosses the line to targeted, unlawful, discriminatory intimidation and harassment of Jewish students,” he added.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean and director of the global social-action agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, stated: “The successful passage of this legislation will give the Department of Education important clarity and guidance to redress anti-Semitic attacks on campus and send a clear message to perpetrators that they will be held accountable for their hate.
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