|
WASHINGTON,
DC
- Today,
U.S.
Senators
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
and
Bob
Casey
(D-PA)
introduced
the
bipartisan
Anti-Semitism
Awareness
Act
in
an
effort
to
combat
increasing
incidents
of
anti-Semitism
on
college
campuses
nationwide.
The
Senators
joined
together
to
ensure
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education
(DOE)
has
the
necessary
statutory
tools
at
their
disposal
to
investigate
anti-Jewish
incidents.
A
recent
FBI
crime
report
notes
that
58.2
percent
of
religiously-motivated
hate
crimes
were
due
to
the
offender’s
anti-Jewish
leanings,
and
the
Anti-Defamation
League
found
that
the
number
of
anti-Semitic
attacks
at
colleges
and
universities
doubled
in
2015.
Currently,
the
DOE’s
Office
for
Civil
Rights
has
stated
they
will
not
tolerate
incidents
such
as
these,
but
has
not
issued
firm
guidance
on
what
constitutes
anti-Semitism.
The
Anti-Semitism
Awareness
Act
would
codify
the
definition
as
one
adopted
by
the
U.S.
State
Department’s
Special
Envoy
to
Monitor
and
Combat
Anti-Semitism.
“It
is
incredibly
important
that
we
work
together
to
stamp
out
anti-Semitism
and
other
forms
of
religious
discrimination
across
our
country,”
Senator
Scott
said.
“I
want
to
thank
Senator
Casey
for
joining
me
to
introduce
the
Anti-Semitism
Awareness
Act,
which
is
urgently
needed
as
anti-Jewish
attacks
rise
on
campuses
across
the
nation.
By
clarifying
exactly
what
anti-Semitism
is,
we
will
leave
no
question
as
to
what
constitutes
an
anti-Semitic
incident.”
“The
rise
of
religiously-motivated
hate
crimes
and
religious
discrimination
across
our
country
is
unacceptable.
In
Pennsylvania,
we
have
seen
several
terrible
incidents
of
anti-Semitism
in
just
the
last
several
weeks,”
Senator
Casey
said.
“This
legislation
will
help
the
Department
of
Education
investigate
incidents
of
discrimination
motivated
by
anti-Semitism
in
our
schools,
which
should
be
safe
environments
for
students
from
all
backgrounds.
I’m
proud
to
work
with
Senator
Scott
on
this
bill,
which
aims
to
combat
anti-Semitism
while
preserving
freedom
of
speech.”
The
State
Department’s
definition,
shared
by
the
European
Union,
states,
“Anti-Semitism
is
a
certain
perception
of
Jews,
which
may
be
expressed
as
hatred
toward
Jews.
Rhetorical
and
physical
manifestations
of
anti-Semitism
are
directed
toward
Jewish
or
non-Jewish
individuals
and/or
their
property,
towards
Jewish
community
institutions
and
religious
facilities.”
Examples
include,
among
other
things:
- Calling
for,
aiding,
or
justifying
the
killing
or
harming
of
Jews
- Accusing
the
Jews
as
a
people,
or
Israel
as
a
state,
of
inventing
or
exaggerating
the
Holocaust
- Demonizing
Israel
by
blaming
it
for
all
inter-religious
or
political
tensions
- Judge
Israel
by
a
double
standard
that
one
would
not
apply
to
any
other
democratic
nation
This
act
is
not
meant
to
infringe
on
any
individual
right
protected
under
the
First
Amendment
of
the
Constitution.
The
Anti-Semitism
Awareness
Act
is
supported
by
the
American
Israel
Public
Affairs
Committee,
the
Anti-Defamation
League,
the
Jewish
Federations
of
North
America,
and
the
Simon
Wiesenthal
Center.
### |