House Passes Resolution Condemning Rise of Anti-Semitism

The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution (H.Res.894) by a vote of 311-14 condemning the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and the world. Two elements in the resolution provoked controversy. One said the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism is widely accepted and serves as a critical tool to help individuals comprehend and identify the various manifestations of anti-Semitism. The second stated that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Several Jewish members were among the 92 Democrats who voted present because they objected to this language. Some argued it was possible to be anti-Zionist without being anti-Semitic and that the IHRA definition squelched criticism of Israel.

H. RES. 894

RESOLUTION

Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.

Whereas acts of hate, intimidation, discrimination, and violence based on ethnicity or religion have no place in our country nor in the global community;

Whereas the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism is widely accepted and serves as a critical tool to help individuals comprehend and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism;

Whereas, since the massacre of innocent Israelis by Hamas, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, on October 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault in the United States have spiked 388 percent over the same period last year, according to reports from the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism;

Whereas drastic increases in antisemitic activity has also been seen in Jewish communities around the world since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks;

Whereas the slogan “From the River to the Sea”, which is a rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, has been used by anti-Israel protesters in the United States and globally;

Whereas, on October 8, 2023, a car with individuals holding Palestinian flags appeared to intentionally swerve out of its lane, nearly hitting a visibly Jewish family in Clifton, New Jersey;

Whereas, on October 15, 2023, an individual in New York, New York, punched a Jewish woman in the face at Grand Central Terminal solely because she was Jewish;

Whereas, on October 28, 2023, a Jewish man in Sydney, Australia, was severely injured by 3 anti-Israel rioters, in which he was punched in the head at least 12 times, suffered a concussion, 2 black eyes, and 4 spinal fractures;

Whereas, on November 3, 2023, a Jewish woman’s store in New York City was attacked by a mob of anti-Israel protesters all because she hung posters of Israeli hostages in the store window;

Whereas, on November 3, 2023, 4 masked men walked into a restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and proceeded to tear down an Israeli flag and yelled “Free Palestine”;

Whereas, on November 4, 2023, an Arizona man was arrested by Federal authorities for threatening to execute a local Rabbi and “every other JEW I can find tonight at midnight of your Sabbath”;

Whereas, on November 4, 2023, during an anti-Israel protest in Washington, DC, rioters shouted their support for Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and other acts of terror targeting Israel, called for the end of the State of Israel, and spewed hateful and vile language amplifying antisemitic themes;

Whereas, during that same protest in Washington, DC, rioters stormed and tried to scale the White House fence, vandalized property by staining blood-red handprints onto the side of the White House pillars, and spray painted “Death to Israel” and “Glory to our Martyrs” on buildings in DC;

Whereas, on November 6, 2023, Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, tragically died due to injuries sustained when an anti-Israel protester struck him in the head with a megaphone in Los Angeles, California;

Whereas, on November 11, 2023, as part of a massive anti-Israel protest, rioters set off smokebombs in front of a synagogue in London, England;

Whereas, on November 12, 2023, police found several headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn, Ohio, were desecrated with swastikas;

Whereas, on November 13, 2023, a mezuzah was torn off the doorpost of a Jewish person’s apartment and a knife was stuck into the wood in its place in Milan, Italy;

Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the evening before the March for Israel in Washington, DC, anti-Israel rioters vandalized a Jewish medical tent by spray painting “Free Gaza”, “Palestine Will Be Free”, and “Gaza Will Win”; and

Whereas, on November 15, 2023, anti-Israel protesters illegally blocked and violently attacked the Democratic National Committee headquarters, endangering the lives of individuals inside, including Members of Congress, and injuring 6 Capitol Police Officers; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

Sources: Jacob Kornbluh, “A House resolution denounces antisemitism. Here’s why some Jewish members voted ‘present,’” Forward, (December 5, 2023).
“H.Res.894 - Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world,” Congress.gov, (December 5, 2023).