The US House of Representatives voted to expand the definition approved by the Department of Education for the term anti-Semitism, in a move that still needs to be approved by the Senate and comes in response to pro-Palestinian protests at the country’s universities.
Part of the American political class accuses the demonstrators at universities of “anti-Semitism,” and they cite this, among other things, as the protesters raise slogans hostile to Israel, the United States’ major ally in the Middle East.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Council approved, with the votes of representatives from both parties, a draft law adopting the definition of anti-Semitism as proposed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
According to this definition, “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews that may be manifested by hatred towards them. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism target Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, community institutions, and places of worship.”
In contrast, critics of the bill say that this definition prohibits certain criticism of the State of Israel, something the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance advocates.
Opponents of the text accuse members of Congress of seeking to quickly approve this legislation in order to use it to limit freedom of expression in American universities.
Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler, who opposes the text, warned that “comments criticizing Israel do not in themselves constitute unlawful discrimination.”
In order for this text to become effective legislation, the Senate must adopt it, which is still uncertain, before it is transmitted to President Joe Biden for his signature and publication.
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