{"id":2233985,"date":"2024-04-30T18:26:03","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T22:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-poised-to-vote-to-codify-official-definition-of-anti-semitism-in-face-of-left-wing-objections\/"},"modified":"2024-04-30T18:28:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T22:28:15","slug":"house-poised-to-vote-to-codify-official-definition-of-anti-semitism-in-face-of-left-wing-objections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-poised-to-vote-to-codify-official-definition-of-anti-semitism-in-face-of-left-wing-objections\/","title":{"rendered":"House to Vote on Official Definition of Anti-Semitism Despite Opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-poised-to-vote-to-codify-official-definition-of-anti-semitism-in-face-of-left-wing-objections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2233985&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S.\u2064 House may vote to codify an official \u200canti-Semitism definition, with some Democrats opposing the bill in \u200dfavor of a narrower version by progressive critics of Israel. The IHRA definition is backed by Jewish community leaders, aiming to combat anti-Semitism on college\u200b campuses. On the contrary, the Nexus definition, supported by progressive activists, raises concerns over stifling\u2064 free speech.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<h2>Bill faces opposition from Dems who prefer definition crafted by progressive activists <\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t(Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The U.S. House could vote to codify an official and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jewish-groups-urge-white-house-to-reject-progressive-backed-antisemitism-definition\/\" title=\"Jewish groups ask White House to reject progressive-supported definition of antisemitism.\">widely accepted definition<\/a> of anti-Semitism as early as Wednesday, but some Democratic lawmakers are objecting. They prefer a far narrower definition crafted by progressive critics of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 passed the House Rules Committee on Monday and could head to the floor this week.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation would adopt the &#8220;definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance&#8221; to be used &#8220;for the enforcement of Federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs or activities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The bill is facing opposition from Democrats such as Rep. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, who claims it &#8220;threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech&#8221; and &#8220;sweeps too broadly,&#8221; <em>Politico<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/04\/29\/antisemitism-bill-clears-house-rules-panel-following-partisan-feud-00155045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>But Jewish community leaders are vocal supporters of the bill, saying it is necessary to combat the anti-Semitism sweeping college campuses. Jewish students have been assaulted and threatened by anti-Israel activists at universities across the country.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Shame on Jerry Nadler,&#8221; Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/30-years-later-remembering-crown-heights\/\" title=\"30 Years Later: Remembering Crown Heights\">global social action<\/a> for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>. &#8220;The IHRA definition passes the smell test in so many different countries, in so many different settings.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Cooper said the anti-Jewish attacks on college campuses are &#8220;not going to stop unless there&#8217;s going to be accountability.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Some Democrats have criticized the IHRA working definition, which labels certain language against Israel\u2014such as opposing the existence of the Jewish state or comparing it to Nazi Germany\u2014as anti-Semitic. They instead support the &#8220;Nexus definition,&#8221; which does not consider such language to be anti-Semitic.<\/p>\n<p>The IHRA <a href=\"https:\/\/holocaustremembrance.com\/resources\/working-definition-antisemitism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">definition<\/a> was created by an intergovernmental body representing 34 member countries, including the United States. The definition has been endorsed by over 40 countries and at least 33 U.S. states.<\/p>\n<p>The Nexus <a href=\"https:\/\/nexusproject.us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">definition<\/a>, by contrast, was drafted by a coalition of progressive political consultants and academics\u2014including numerous anti-Israel activists who support boycotts of the Jewish state and have accused Israel of &#8220;genocide.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Nexus Task Force, in its words, opposes a &#8220;single &#8216;all-purpose&#8217; definition&#8221; of anti-Semitism, arguing that doing so &#8220;stifles debate about US policy in Israel and the Middle East&#8221; and encourages &#8220;false accusations of antisemitism.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Eric Fusfield, the director of legislative affairs at B&#8217;nai B&#8217;rith, said the notion that the IHRA definition could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victory-for-social-media-users-everywhere-shapiro-daily-wire-cleared-of-frivolous-charges-over-tweet\/\" title=\"\u2018Victory For Social Media Users Everywhere\u2019: Shapiro, Daily Wire Cleared Of \u2018Frivolous\u2019 Charges Over Tweet\">chill free speech<\/a> is &#8220;an unfair criticism because the IHRA working definition explicitly says that criticism of Israel is not, per se, antisemitic. What is antisemitic is hatred of Israel, the vilification of Israel, the delegitimization and double standards imposed on Israel.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Nexus definition is terrible,&#8221; Fusfield told the <em>Free Beacon<\/em>. &#8220;It endorses the use of double-standards against Israel. It&#8217;s not just a permission slip for hatred of Israel. It is a shockingly specific permission statement.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Nexus Task Force is led by Jonathan Jacoby, a progressive activist and longtime critic of Israel.\u00a0Jacoby has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishexponent.com\/why-i-helped-write-an-alternative-definition-of-antisemitism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accused<\/a> Israel of enacting &#8220;laws enshrining Jewish dominance over Palestinian citizens of Israel&#8221; and denying &#8220;fundamental human rights to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza for 56 years.&#8221; He has also defended activists who call Israel an &#8220;apartheid&#8221; state, <a href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/opinion\/522629\/the-mistake-in-equating-right-wing-and-left-wing-antisemitism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">arguing<\/a> that &#8220;apartheid&#8221; in this context is &#8220;an inflammatory term, but it is not antisemitic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The task force includes numerous anti-Israel activists. David Biale, a Jewish history professor at the University of California, Davis, has said he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2017\/03\/10\/scholars-speak-out-against-new-law-barring-supporters-boycotts-entering-israel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports<\/a> a boycott against Israel. Mira Sucharov, a political science professor at Carleton University, has also backed anti-Israel boycotts, writing in a 2018 <em>Haaretz<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220813170150\/https:\/www.haaretz.com\/opinion\/2018-01-07\/ty-article\/.premium\/sadly-this-might-be-the-time-for-jews-to-boycott-israel\/0000017f-e59f-dea7-adff-f5ffdbc50000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">column<\/a> that &#8220;Now Might Be the Time for Jews To Boycott Israel.&#8221;\t<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Ben-Ami, a member of the Nexus advisory committee, is the founder and president of J Street. The group has sought to diminish the Democratic Party&#8217;s support for Israel and weaken the influence of the main pro-Israel lobbying organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.<\/p>\n<p>Raja Khouri, another member of the Nexus advisory committee, in November <a href=\"https:\/\/broadview.org\/hamas-palestine-israel-book-raja-khouri-jeffrey-wilkinson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accused<\/a> Israel of committing &#8220;genocide,&#8221; saying, &#8220;You have to call it what it is. When civilians\u2014children, babies\u2014are being killed in the thousands, what else would you call it?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats object to bill proposing widely accepted anti-Semitism definition, favoring a narrower version by progressive critics of Israel. The U.S. House may vote soon on codifying an official anti-Semitism definition, with disagreement among lawmakers. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":2233986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/rally-against-anti-semitism-held-at-us-capitol-scaled-e1714510023573.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2233985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/rally-against-anti-semitism-held-at-us-capitol-scaled-e1714510023573.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2233985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2233986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2233985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2233985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2233985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}