U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) recently joined Republican and Democratic members of Congress to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which directs the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating antisemitic acts on campus.
The IHRA defines antisemitism as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Britt and other members of Congress have tried to draw attention to the perceived increase in antisemitism and antisemitic discrimination in the nation’s college campuses and K-12 schools.
RELATED: Britt, Tuberville urge Education Secretary Cardona to address antisemitism in K-12 schools
“We cannot allow antisemitism to fester in our schools, on our college campuses, or anywhere in our society,” Britt said. “This legislation would give the Department of Education the tools to hold students and institutions accountable. Any American educational institution authorizing, facilitating, or otherwise supporting pro-terrorism activities should lose every cent of federal funding and subsidization. Now more than ever, we must send a resounding message that antisemitism has no place in America—we must stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters across our country, and abroad.”
The Antisemitism Awareness Act would use the IHRA’s working definition for the Department of Education to use when determining whether an antisemitic incident on campus “crosses the line from free speech into harassing, unlawful, or discriminatory conduct.”
U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Britt in filing the bill.
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