The Facts
Amid increased concerns over "antisemitism," the US House on Wednesday passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, expanding the term's ambit and meaning.
The bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act was introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and will now be sent to the Senate for review.
The Spin
There is an urgent need to fight back antisemitism brewing inside US campuses. Violently antisemitic rhetoric has no place among students and young adults. The Antisemitism Awareness Act, by adopting the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, reinforces federal anti-discrimination laws to protect Jewish students. It adds muscles to the America's anti-discrimination laws to protect Jews.
The US House's antisemitism legislation ought to be called the "hate speech bill." Its definition of antisemitism could encompass excerpts from even the Bible. So will the law be deployed against the Gospel now? Moreover, this new law is worded without regard for the U Constitution. It shows a wholesale disconnect with even common understanding of the meaning of words.
