WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Wednesday welcomed the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Countering Antisemitism Act, legislation that will strengthen federal efforts in the fight against anti-Jewish hate.
The legislation, sponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen and James Lankford and Representatives Kathy Manning and Chris Smith, is the most comprehensive legislation to date to counter domestic antisemitism and protect Jewish communities across the country.
“The surge of antisemitism in the U.S. is an urgent threat to Jews and to all Americans, a threat which has only grown more severe since Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “
AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report found that 63% of American Jews feel the status of Jews is less secure than one year ago — more than a 20 percentage point increase in just one year. One in four reported they were the target of an antisemitic incident—a physical attack, remark, vandalism, or messaging—in 2023, and 46% reported changing their behavior out of fear of antisemitism in the past 12 months.
“As the one-year anniversary of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism draws near, we applaud the co-chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, Senators Rosen and Lankford and Representatives Manning and Smith, for coming together on a bipartisan basis to introduce comprehensive legislation urgently needed to counter domestic antisemitism and protect Jewish communities across our country. We are grateful to these congressional champions for taking decisive action to fight anti-Jewish hate and preserve our democracy,” added Deutch.
AJC
previously called for many of the provisions included in the Countering Antisemitism Act, including the appointment of a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism within the White House.
The Countering Antisemitism Act would strengthen federal efforts to counter antisemitism in the United States, by:
–Establishing a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism within the White House to:
–Serve as the President’s principal advisor on countering domestic antisemitism, and
–Coordinate Federal efforts to counter antisemitism, including reviewing agencies’ implementation of U.S. government strategies to counter antisemitism.
–Establishing an interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of U.S. government strategies to counter antisemitism.
–Directing agencies to submit a report to Congress detailing their implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
–Requiring the FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center to jointly produce an annual threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism.
–Requiring the National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism to conduct an annual analysis of the spread of antisemitism online and provide recommendations to Congress on how to counter it.
–Requiring the Department of Education to designate a senior official to advise on the Department’s efforts to counter antisemitic discrimination in higher education.
–Requiring the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts across public K-12 schools.
–Requiring the FEMA Administrator to ensure the agency has sufficient resources and personnel needed to carry out the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
–And formally establishing May as “Jewish American Heritage Month” in federal law.
The legislation comes just before the one-year anniversary of the release of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and amidst an unprecedented surge in antisemitism triggered by Hamas’ October 7 terror attack against Israel – including a deeply troubling uptick on college campuses across the country.
Since its release in May 2023, AJC has been working to ensure that the National Strategy is implemented across the country and all sectors of society, including by establishing the AJC Task Force to Implement the U.S. National Strategy in June 2023. The organization has published
numerous guides to help government officials, civil society leaders, educators, and others integrate recommendations from the National Strategy into practice. AJC has also created toolkits for both
university administrators and
university students to confront antisemitism occurring on college campuses.
AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report found that not only do nearly three-quarters of the general population (74%) say antisemitism is a problem (very serious or somewhat serious) in the United States today, but more than 9 in 10 Americans (both Jews and U.S. adults) believe “Antisemitism affects society as a whole; everyone is responsible for combating it.” AJC strongly supports the Countering Antisemitism Act as a key step in this whole-of-society approach.
*
Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee