The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the federal definition of anti-Semitism, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.
The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
If the bill were to become law, it would codify a definition of anti-Semitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.
According to the IHRA, that definition also encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”.
The group also includes certain examples in its definition to illustrate anti-Semitism. Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.
Rights groups, however, have raised concerns the definition nevertheless conflates criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.
In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.
“Instead, it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.”
But Nazism is completely legal in the US?
Looking very much so.
If this happened under Trump liberals would be up in arms. But it’s happening under Biden, so they don’t give a shit.
Democrats, Republicans, its the same picture.
Dems don’t even talk about Republicans or their policies anymore, they just namedrop trump then start preemptively blaming leftists for their losses as they tell leftists to eat dick and die.
Once Obama got in office, Democrat stans suddenly didn’t care about the Global War(s) on Terrorism anymore. They were silent on his star chamber as well. It was a real wake-up call for me.
at least you have freedom dont ya, us?
Freedom of speech. Except the speech we don’t like.
As a Jew I have never felt less respected by Congress than them appropriating the concept of antisemitism to further their own oppressive political ends. Fuck it’s so gross.
lol fuck off morons.
Bruh literal facism
So about that freedom of speech…
I get the feeling a lot of our more vocal free speech absolutists are going to be conspicuously quiet on this one.
That’s double-plus ungood wrongthink, citizen. Report for re-education.
What about it? You are still free to say exactly what the government wants you to say
Adding IHRA’s definition to the law would allow the federal Department of Education to restrict funding and other resources to campuses perceived as tolerating anti-Semitism.
The campus crackdown is definitely going too far. Vietnam War protestors were treated the same way. It escalated, and the cops opened fire at Kent State.
The state guard fired on students at Kent State not the cops.
The difference today is kids got guns and will fire back.
Always the same map
A bit surprising that “israel” didn’t vote against it, but that would be a bit too on the nose I guess.
Wild to me that China is not a part of “core world trade”
China didn’t colonize the world like western Europe and Japan did, then make neocolonial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to preserve those colonial relations.
They’ve mostly escaped colonialism and become the manufacturing hub of the world now, but wealth isn’t being extracted from the Global South / “former” colonies to China like they are being transferred to the imperial Core.
Whiteness index map
It seems like the US voted against it because Russia was using it as a political ploy and excuse to try and invade Ukraine. (Ukraine is “full of Nazis” sound familiar?)
That’s why Ukraine voted against it too.
The United States says it was one of three countries to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism over freedom of speech issues and concerns that Russia was using it to carry out political attacks against its neighbors.
Ukraine and Palau were the other no votes.
“We condemn without reservation all forms of religious and ethnic intolerance or hatred at home and around the world,” said Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council Stefanie Amadeo, explaining the U.S. vote.
“This resolution’s recommendations to limit freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly contravene the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must be opposed,” Amadeo said.
The UN resolution wanted to quash “antisemitic” protests very much like the ones we’re seeing in the US right now. So really if you’re against the Bill this post is about, you should be okay with the US voting no on that UN resolution.
Looks like a goddamn Risk map.
Always the same map
And what’s so bad about being called an antisemite?
I mean, personally I’m highly again all types of organised religion. The abrahamic ones included.
So the shoe fits, I guess.
What does it mean to be against a religion? As in you don’t follow it? Or that you oppress people following it?
I mean, what do you call a person that performs ethnic genocide?
American?
😂😂😂😂😂
He’s out of line,
But he’s right
Hey!
Aw who am I kidding, I know my country’s bloodstained history despite my public education. I wish I could say it was in our past and that we’re better now, but we’re literally funding this exact genocide. 🫠
Hey there, one of the good ones 👋🏽
I know my country’s bloodstained history despite my public education.
I fucking can’t stand that this is a thing. I experienced the same thing and honestly it was “earth shattering.”
When you’re a kid and you’re brainwashed into believing “America the Great” and how we’re always the Good Guys™ always Fighting for Democracy™ only to graduate and then learn on your own how absolutely fucking disgusting we are as a nation it absolutely fucks with your head and how you trust information.
These fucking morons can’t figure out where so many conspiracy theorists come from? It’s from people like me who find out their entire social studies class was a fucking lie to indoctrinate you and then fall down a rabbit hole when they start learning about actual history… Thankfully I was “smart” enough to dig my way out of that hole before becoming some crazed Neonazi but still… Damage was done.
What an odd thing to say…
If the Israelis don’t want to be compared to Nazis maybe they ought to stop acting like Nazis
It would also help if more than a handful of people in the House knew semitic is a pretty archaic term and would include Palestinians in Gaza as well as Israelis and people from several other countries as well.
Protected classes are race, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy status, gender, citizenship, disability or veteran, family status or generic information. Nobody gets protections for genocide.
That’s what happens when corrupt politicians are paid by AIPAC
Got your cart before the horse: the US controls Israel, the control Israeli lobbyists have over it is secondary to that.
If the US truly controlled Israel, they could force them to comply with UN resolutions, force them to ban settlements or force them into a ceasefire. The US built Israel, but these criminals are now strong enough not to have to listen to the US or anyone, not even the UN or the ICC.
If the US truly controlled Israel, they could force them to comply with UN resolutions, force them to ban settlements or force them into a ceasefire.
Could, but why would they want to? They have a little buddy doing their dirty work for them.
How does the US benefit from Israel committing a genocide?
The oil, the real estate?
Does the US benefit from stopping them?
Yes. War always has a negative impact on the economy, and trust me, if the US care about one thing, then that is money.
At some point US troops will invade to bring democracy to such an autoritarian country
This gives the USA too much credit. It doesn’t invade other countries to save them from tyranny. It invades them because it wants to control them for strategic or economic purposes.
No no that’s only if there’s oil there.
Oh shit.
