Anti-Semitism fight making progress in the USA

Jew-hatred, that most protean of hatreds, has a way of shape-shifting through the ages, but the response in Congress, it seems, is finally evolving with it. Consider the journey of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA).  Back in December 2016, it passed the Senate by unanimous consent - a voice vote so anodyne it hardly ruffled a feather. Fast forward to last year, and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, wouldn't even allow a standalone vote, fearing it might split his party down the middle. So, despite passing the House 320-91 in May, the AAA went nowhere.

But last week, a quartet of Representatives - Mike Lawler (R-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Max Miller (R-OH), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) - reintroduced the bill, giving Congress another chance to do the right thing. Yet, with so much misinformation swirling around this legislation, it's crucial to grasp its content, its implications, and the concerns of its detractors.

The AAA essentially codifies into law President Donald Trump's 2019 executive order on antisemitism. It adopts the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition to adjudicate complaints of anti-Jewish discrimination at educational institutions under the U.S. Department of Education.

Pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), who describes antisemitism as "a sinful abomination," told me, "You cannot defeat what you will not define."

The Jewish community agrees - having a standard definition is vital. The AAA is backed by Jewish organizations from across the political divide, from the left-leaning Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee to the right-leaning Republican Jewish Coalition and Zionist Organization of America.

Mark Goldfeder, CEO of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, pointed out, "Because Jewish identity is so multifaceted, without a standard definition for authorities to reference, it is too easy for antisemites to hide behind this ambiguity, commit heinous acts with impunity, then claim it was not antisemitism because it was not based on this or that characteristic." He further added, "The Office of Civil Rights [at the Department of Education] has been operating slowly, and there is a need to make sure that those who are trying to re-muddy the waters and create carve-outs for their favourite kinds of antisemitism cannot do so."

Now, to the opposition. Last year, 70 House Democrats and 21 House Republicans voted against the AAA. Both parties raised free speech concerns, but Democrats were particularly uneasy about the IHRA's characterization of anti-Zionism as antisemitism, while some Republicans had issues with IHRA's stance on "claims of Jews killing Jesus."

Goldfeder clarified, "The bill explicitly does not, in any way, restrict or prohibit speech of any kind, including hate speech, and of course religious speech. Every person is free to think, or believe, or say whatever they want, however abhorrent, about Jews and/or the Jewish state. Nor does the bill add any new crimes, classes, punishments, or enhancements." He continued, "AAA simply defines a term within the context of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which regulates behavior — not speech — and ensures that already existing laws will be consistently applied as intended."

Concerned Democrats should note that Schumer has now flipped and supports the bill.

On the Republican concern about Jesus, Pastor Hagee offered, "The Word of God says 'No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily' (John 10:18). Accordingly, if you're a Christian who believes the Bible is true, then we believe that Jesus Christ willingly laid down His life. If you believe that any one group is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, save and except God Almighty, then you do not believe in the sacrificial and substitutionary death of our Saviour." He added that CUFI supports "AAA because it's right, and it is never the wrong time to do the right thing."

Luke Moon, executive director of the Philos Project and another Christian supporter of AAA, remarked, "There is a unique hatred of the Jewish people. I believe it is because the Jews were the people through who God brought his moral revelation into this world, and the world hates them for it. I believe Christians should stand with Israel and the Jewish people because we affirm that same moral revelation."

One can only hope that members of Congress are hearing these messages from their constituents. After all, Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of their Jewish neighbors, and the AAA merely seeks to make Trump's first-term policy on antisemitism in educational settings more durable.

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