Anti-Semitism in the United States: Global Anti-Semitism Review Act

In October 2003, both houses of the U.S. Congress approved a bill requiring the State Department to create a special office to monitor anti-Semitism worldwide and to report on it reports submitted annually to Congress.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the legislation by unanimous consent. The State Department originally opposed the legislation, but President George W. Bush signed it into law on October 16, 2004.

108th CONGRESS:
S. 2292

AN ACT

To require a report on acts of anti -Semitism around the world.

• Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

• This Act may be cited as the Global Anti -Semitism Review Act of 2004'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

• Congress makes the following findings:

• • (1) Acts of anti -Semitism in countries throughout the world, including some of the world's strongest democracies, have increased significantly in frequency and scope over the last several years.

• • (2) During the last 3 months of 2003 and the first 3 months of 2004, there were numerous instances of anti -Semitic violence around the world, including the following incidents:

• • • (A) In Putrajaya, Malaysia, on October 16, 2003, former Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad told the 57 national leaders assembled for the Organization of the Islamic Conference that Jews rule the world by proxy', and called for a final victory' by the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, who, he said, cannot be defeated by a few million Jews.'.

• • • (B) In Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15, 2003, simultaneous car bombs exploded outside two synagogues filled with worshippers, killing 24 people and wounding more than 250 people.

• • • (C) In Australia on January 5, 2004, poison was used to ignite, and burn anti -Semitic slogans into, the lawns of the Parliament House in the state of Tasmania.

• • • (D) In St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 15, 2004, vandals desecrated approximately 50 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, painting the stones with swastikas and anti -Semitic graffiti.

• • • (E) In Toronto, Canada, over the weekend of March 19 through March 21, 2004, vandals attacked a Jewish school, a Jewish cemetery, and area synagogues, painting swastikas and anti -Semitic slogans on the walls of a synagogue and on residential property in a nearby, predominantly Jewish, neighborhood.

• • • (F) In Toulon, France, on March 23, 2004, a Jewish synagogue and community center were set on fire.

• • (3) Anti -Semitism in old and new forms is also increasingly emanating from the Arab and Muslim world on a sustained basis, including through books published by government-owned publishing houses in Egypt and other Arab countries.

• • (4) In November 2002, state-run television in Egypt broadcast the anti -Semitic series entitled Horseman Without a Horse', which is based upon the fictitious conspiracy theory known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols have been used throughout the last century by despots such as Adolf Hitler to justify violence against Jews.

• • (5) In November 2003, Arab television featured an anti -Semitic series, entitled Ash-Shatat' (or The Diaspora'), which depicts Jewish people hatching a plot for Jewish control of the world.

• • (6) The sharp rise in anti -Semitic violence has caused international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to elevate, and bring renewed focus to, the issue, including the convening by the OSCE in June 2003 of a conference in Vienna dedicated solely to the issue of anti -Semitism .

• • (7) The OSCE convened a conference again on April 28-29, 2004, in Berlin, to address the problem of anti -Semitism with the United States delegation led by former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch.

• • (8) The United States Government has strongly supported efforts to address anti -Semitism through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the OSCE, the European Union, and the United Nations.

• • ntly supported efforts to address the rise in anti -Semitic violence. During the 107th Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions expressing strong concern with the sharp escalation of anti -Semitic violence in Europe and calling on the Department of State to thoroughly document the phenomenon.

• • (10) Anti -Semitism has at times taken the form of vilification of Zionism, the Jewish national movement, and incitement against Israel.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

• It is the sense of Congress that--

• • (1) the United States Government should continue to strongly support efforts to combat anti -Semitism worldwide through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the OSCE, the European Union, and the United Nations; and

• • (2) the Department of State should thoroughly document acts of anti -Semitism that occur around the world.

SEC. 4. REPORTS.

• Not later than November 15, 2004, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives a one-time report on acts of anti -Semitism around the world, including a description of--

• • (1) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Jewish community institutions, such as schools, synagogues, or cemeteries, that occurred in each country;

• • (2) the responses of the governments of those countries to such actions;

• • (3) the actions taken by such governments to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of Jewish people;

• • (4) the efforts by such governments to promote anti -bias and tolerance education; and

• • (5) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against Jewish people.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI -SEMITISM .

• The The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended by adding after section 58 (22 U.S.C. 2730) the following new section:

SEC. 59. MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI -SEMITISM .

• (a) Office to Monitor and Combat Anti -Semitism -

• • (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE- The Secretary shall establish within the Department of State an Office to Monitor and Combat anti -Semitism (in this section referred to as the Office') .

• • (2) HEAD OF OFFICE-

• • • (A) SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI -SEMITISM - The head of the Office shall be the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti -Semitism (in this section referred to as the Special Envoy').

• • • (B) APPOINTMENT OF HEAD OF OFFICE- The Secretary shall appoint the Special Envoy. If the Secretary determines that such is appropriate, the Secretary may appoint the Special Envoy from among officers and employees of the Department. The Secretary may allow such officer or employee to retain the position (and the responsibilities associated with such position) held by such officer or employee prior to the appointment of such officer or employee to the position of Special Envoy under this paragraph.

• (b) Purpose of Office- Upon establishment, the Office shall assume the primary responsibility for--

• • (1) monitoring and combatting acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries;

• • (2) coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that portion of the report required by sections 116(d)(7) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)(7) and 2304(b)) relating to an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement for inclusion in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; and

• • (3) coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that portion of the report required by section 102(b)(1)(A)(iv) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)(iv)) relating to an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement for inclusion in the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom.

• (c) Consultations- The Special Envoy shall consult with domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this section.'

SEC. 6. INCLUSION IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNUAL REPORTS OF INFORMATION CONCERNING ACTS OF ANTI -SEMITISM IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

• (a) Inclusion in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended--

• • (1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))--

• • • (A) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), and (10), as paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), respectively; and

• • • (B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following new paragraph:

• • (8) wherever applicable, a description of the nature and extent of acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement that occur during the preceding year, including descriptions of--

• • • (A) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of Jewish community institutions, including schools, synagogues, and cemeteries;

• • • (B) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against Jewish people;

• • • (C) the actions, if any, taken by the government of the country to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or incitement;

• • • (D) the actions taken by such government to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of Jewish people; and

• • • (E) the efforts of such government to promote anti -bias and tolerance education;'; and

• • (2) after the fourth sentence of section 502B(b) (22 U.S.C. 2304(b)), by inserting the following new sentence: Wherever applicable, a description of the nature and extent of acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement that occur, including the descriptions of such acts required under section 116(d)(8).'.

• (b) Inclusion in Annual Report on International Religious Freedom- Section 102(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)) is amended--

• • (1) in clause (ii), by striking and' at the end;

• • (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and'; and

• • (3) by adding after clause (iii) the following new clause:

• • • • (iv) wherever applicable, an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of anti -Semitism and anti -Semitic incitement that occur in that country during the preceding year, including--

• • • • • (I) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, Jewish people, acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Jewish community institutions, and instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that incite such acts; and

• • • • • (II) the actions taken by the government of that country to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or incitement, to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of Jewish people, and to promote anti -bias and tolerance education.'.

• (c) Effective Date of Inclusions- The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply beginning with the first report under sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) and section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6312(b)) submitted more than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act .

Source: Library of Congress