House Passes Antisemitism Bill

[angrychair]

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., released a statement after voting against the bill saying that while she has "experienced antisemitism all my life," the bill "would stifle First Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly."

Jacobs also said that she does not believe that anti-Zionism is "inherently antisemitism," noting that "conflating free speech and hate crimes will not make Jewish students any safer."

I know this OP is going to get me a lot grief from some circles which is why I led with quote from Rep Jacobs on the subject.
A Bill like this or even the one that some Democrats support more than this one, is an incredibly slippery slope of unintended consequences.
When is the Bill to fight Islamophobia coming up for it's vote? What about protecting Buddhists? What about Satanists? What about atheists?

My point is that when we start writing laws around speech we don't like, it will eventually come for the speech we do. Someone is always going to say things someone else doesn't like. This is not the way to solve this Congress.

Reference: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-antisemitism-bill-campus-arrests-rcna150170

[lapucelle]

1. The Combating International Islamophobia Act passed the House in 2021

and then died in committee in the Senate.

H.R.5665 - Combating International Islamophobia Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5665/all-actions?overview=closed#tabs

---------------------------------------------

Biden was a strong supporter of the bill:

The Administration supports passage of H.R. 5665, the Combating International Islamophobia Act

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. This freedom is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is also part of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Our country’s commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief goes back centuries, and the Administration strongly believes that people of all faiths and backgrounds should be treated with equal dignity and respect around the world.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/HR-5665-SAP.pdf

-----------------------------------------------

The same bill was re-introduced last year.

Booker, Omar, Schakowsky Reintroduce Combating Global Islamophobia Bill

https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/booker-omar-schakowsky-reintroduce-combating-global-islamophobia-bill

[angrychair]

2. Had not heard that

Interesting. I'll read through it now. Just the same, I would be just as against it as I am this Bill. The list of religions I gave or no religion at all, was for rhetorical purposes. We already have laws, regulations and the Constitution that makes discrimination on the bases of religion or no religion as well as national origin, illegal.

[Cha]

3. Mahalo, lapucelle.. You Always shine the Light on

Refreshing FACTS.

[LexVegas]

4. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism. nt

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. lol what First Anendment

[Big Blue Marble]

6. This definition includes criticism of Israel as being anti-semitic.

Jerry Nadler and the ACLU strongly oppose this legislation. It is
unAmerican and violates our First Amendment Right to free speech.

What will be outlawed next?

From the link in the OP:

"Speech that is critical of Israel or any other government cannot, alone, constitute harassment," ACLU leaders wrote in a letter last week urging lawmakers to oppose the measure.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Where?

[scipan]

11. From the definition

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.

https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism

Not sure if I agree with all of it.

ACLU PDF (bold is mine):

The IHRA working definition, however, is overbroad. It equates protected political
speech with unprotected discrimination, and enshrining it into regulation would chill the
exercise of First Amendment rights and risk undermining the Department of Education’s
legitimate and important efforts to combat discrimination. Criticism of Israel and its
policies is political speech, squarely protected by the First Amendment. But the IHRA
working definition declares that “denying the Jewish people their right to self-
determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist
endeavor,” “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis,”
and “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or
demanded of any other democratic nation” are all examples of antisemitism.2
Speech that is critical of Israel or any other government cannot, alone, constitute
harassment. Although this bill does not change the definition of harassment, it does direct
the Department of Education to consider protected speech in determining whether any
actionable harassment under Title VI, including allegations that the school is responsible
for a “hostile environment,” was motivated by antisemitism. A determination of a
violation may ultimately lead to cuts to school funding

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Oppose-H.R.-6090-the-Anti-Semitism-Awareness-Act45.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwje69HA_O-FAxWuElkFHRqTC5wQFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0Jv2ra_0aTDioq4rKDM3Un

[Behind the Aegis]

8. Good.

Sure to piss off all the "right" people.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Gaetz dubs House antisemitism bill a 'ridiculous hate speech bill'

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) labeled the House antisemitism legislation as a “ridiculous hate speech bill” ahead of the vote on Wednesday.

The House approved a bill that aims to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests taking place at U.S. universities across the country. Gaetz voiced his opposition to the bill ahead of the vote, saying that some excerpts of the Bible would meet this bill’s definition of antisemitism.

“This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act,'” he wrote on social media platform X.

“Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is 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!” he continued.

more...

[LeftInTX]

10. The bill would not make believing in the Gospel illegal....LOL...OMG....

Both lawmakers, who introduced the bill last year, said that the bill would not make believing in the Gospel illegal. The bill passed the House Wednesday in a 320-91 vote to send to the Senate for consideration.

I guess, they forget to tell Greene that she can still believe in Jewish Space Lasers!

[Cha]

12. Excellent.. as you said.. it Pisses

Off the right people.

💙🕊️💙🇮🇱🕯️

[tritsofme]

13. I'm as strong of a supporter of Israel as you could find, and I am skeptical of this bill.

Many of these pro-Hamas operatives have behaved deplorably at these demonstrations, however the First Amendment protects their right to expose themselves as the terrible awful anti-Semitic scum that they clearly are.

[Ping Tung]

14. She's right. Confusing nationalism with religion or ethnicity is till nationalism.

Zionism is a politically nationalist movement. As is Hamas and some other Palestinian movements.

Both sides, Palestinians and Israelis, invoke their ethnicity and religions as rationales for claiming territory and killing each other.