Joint Letter to US Senators Regarding the Antisemitism Awareness Act
We, the undersigned Jewish organizations, write to express our opposition to the Antisemitism Awareness Act (S. 558 / H.R. 1007). We encourage you to oppose this bill. Voting in favor of this legislation in this current political climate would represent an endorsement of the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to weaponize antisemitism as a pretext for undermining civil rights, deporting political dissidents, and attacking the fundamental pillars of our democracy, making the Jewish community and others less safe.
We remain deeply concerned about the escalating antisemitism here in the United States and globally, particularly following the horrific October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas. At the same time, we are alarmed to see how the Trump Administration has cynically deployed the fight against antisemitism as cover to attack other groups, political rivals, due process, and civil society. History teaches us that Jews and other minority groups are the safest in robust democracies, and this authoritarian backsliding raises alarm bells across the political spectrum of the Jewish community.
Antisemitism is a serious and growing problem that demands a legitimate and action-oriented response. However, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Non-Legally Binding Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples – while dismissing all other definitions as counterproductive – falls far short of the complex response required to fight antisemitism. In fact, this bill does nothing to advance the hundreds of steps outlined in the 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism – a much more holistic approach that was supported by Republicans, Democrats, and a wide range of Jewish communal stakeholders. It is worth noting that the National Strategy deliberately did not endorse the IHRA definition, given the significant disagreement in the Jewish community about the definition.
We are concerned that the bill requires the Department of Education to use the IHRA definition and its examples, which broadly and problematically characterizes criticism of Israel as antisemitism, in determining the intent of potentially antisemitic incidents on campus. We vehemently reject any tool that can be misappropriated to suppress criticism of the Israeli government or stifle legitimate discussions about Israeli policies. Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the definition, warned of its potential misuses – specifically its weaponization to suppress free speech – and now we are seeing the Trump administration investigate and deport students and activists for their speech based on this very definition. Codifying the IHRA definition into law would only bless these efforts.
Even if you have supported the Antisemitism Awareness Act or the implementation of the IHRA definition in the past, it is essential to consider how this bill, if enacted into law, would be abused by the Trump Administration. President Trump has made his intentions to expand deportations clear. It would effectively be a greenlight from Congress for the detention and deportation of those who express political dissent, the criminalization of speech, and for massive funding cuts to the Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights – which we additionally fear would lead to a backlash steeped in antisemitism.
At a time when so many protections for Jewish students and the Jewish community are being eliminated by this Administration, a bill that does nothing to restore or increase tangible protections is not only hypocritical, but actually fails the Jewish community. It is precisely because of our shared commitment to countering antisemitism in all forms, that we must oppose the Antisemitism Awareness Act. It is imperative to address the rise in antisemitism effectively while upholding the democratic principles of free speech and open dialogue – something that this bill clearly fails to achieve.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to engaging in further discussions to ensure a comprehensive and fair approach in countering antisemitism.
Sincerely,
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Habonim Dror North America
Hashomer Hatzair USA
J Street
Jewish Community Action
New Israel Fund
New Jewish Narrative
New York Jewish Agenda
The Nexus Project
T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights