The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the federal definition of anti-Semitism, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

If the bill were to become law, it would codify a definition of anti-Semitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

IHRA’s working definition of 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, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.

According to the IHRA, that definition also encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”.

The group also includes certain examples in its definition to illustrate anti-Semitism. Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.

Rights groups, however, have raised concerns the definition nevertheless conflates criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.

“Instead, it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.”

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  • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    So it’s ok to call students that are protesting against a genocide Nazis but not the people actually committing the genocide. Got it.

    • Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It’s OK to call anyone not aligned with the Republican Party a Nazi, because it’s important that words have no real meaning. Once words have no meaning, the ideas behind them fade as well. This is double plus ungood.

    • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It would also help if more than a handful of people in the House knew semitic is a pretty archaic term and would include Palestinians in Gaza as well as Israelis and people from several other countries as well.

      Protected classes are race, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy status, gender, citizenship, disability or veteran, family status or genetic information. Nobody gets protections for genocide.

      Edit: genetic not generic

    • rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      I get the feeling a lot of our more vocal free speech absolutists are going to be conspicuously quiet on this one.

  • Nobody@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Adding IHRA’s definition to the law would allow the federal Department of Education to restrict funding and other resources to campuses perceived as tolerating anti-Semitism.

    The campus crackdown is definitely going too far. Vietnam War protestors were treated the same way. It escalated, and the cops opened fire at Kent State.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      The state guard fired on students at Kent State not the cops.

      The difference today is kids got guns and will fire back.

  • bartolomeo@suppo.fi
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    7 months ago

    Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.

    Lmao this is a guilty conscience talking.

    • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      Israel is like the Nazis in that the Americans are going to support them up to the moment they lose, at which point they will retcon their own history to say of course they were always against them.

      • AbsentBird@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        The majority of Americans opposed Nazis, even before entering the war. We supported the allies with aid, and were instrumental in making the Nazi’s defeat a reality.

  • john89@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    What the fuck?

    Fuck zionists and their disproportionate amount of control over the world.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Good thing their silly religious stories will never come true.

      Imagine being disappointed for eternity.

      • Alsephina@lemmy.mlOP
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        Zionism is a racist colonial ideology, merely using religion as a tool. Theodor Herzl, founder of zionism, said so himself

        “We should there form a portion of a rampart of Europe against Asia, an outpost of civilization as opposed to barbarism. We should as a neutral State remain in contact with all Europe, which would have to guarantee our existence.” Source [II]

    • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      The genocidal world order. The civilized nations see them for the monsters that they are.

    • Arcturus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      7 months ago

      Always the same map

      A bit surprising that “israel” didn’t vote against it, but that would be a bit too on the nose I guess.

      • PyroNeurosis
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        7 months ago

        Wild to me that China is not a part of “core world trade”

        • Alsephina@lemmy.mlOP
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          7 months ago

          China didn’t colonize the world like western Europe and Japan did, then make neocolonial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to preserve those colonial relations.

          They’ve mostly escaped colonialism and become the manufacturing hub of the world now, but wealth isn’t being extracted from the Global South / “former” colonies to China like they are being transferred to the imperial Core.

        • catloaf@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          It definitely is. Also the map is entirely unsourced and the terms not defined, so it’s impossible to take seriously.

    • cobra89@beehaw.org
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      7 months ago

      It seems like the US voted against it because Russia was using it as a political ploy and excuse to try and invade Ukraine. (Ukraine is “full of Nazis” sound familiar?)

      That’s why Ukraine voted against it too.

      The United States says it was one of three countries to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism over freedom of speech issues and concerns that Russia was using it to carry out political attacks against its neighbors.

      Ukraine and Palau were the other no votes.

      “We condemn without reservation all forms of religious and ethnic intolerance or hatred at home and around the world,” said Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council Stefanie Amadeo, explaining the U.S. vote.

      “This resolution’s recommendations to limit freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly contravene the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must be opposed,” Amadeo said.

      The UN resolution wanted to quash “antisemitic” protests very much like the ones we’re seeing in the US right now. So really if you’re against the Bill this post is about, you should be okay with the US voting no on that UN resolution.

  • Binthinkin@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    Zionists are also thieves because they are buying stolen Gaza land.

    I have sat at passover with Zionists and they are the dumbest shittiest people just like the crazy evangelicals. Just shit people.

    Good luck on getting them to admit any type of fault.

  • Lad@reddthat.com
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    Legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and IDF is being actively outlawed in the western world as governments support the brutal mass killing in Gaza.

    Condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or China’s actions in Xinjiang rings completely hollow. Western governments really are the people in glass houses throwing stones.

    • SitD@feddit.de
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      bro you need to chill out. I’m all for criticizing Israel but if you use a name that has a bad ring to it (for example nazi) but is defined on an entirely different era, set of crimes, and political landscape, you cannot put forward a well-reasoned argument. if people continue to get up in their feelings and stray from reality, they’ll never change anything that is based in reality

      • phobiac@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        There is a world of difference between taking issue with someone making a poorly received argument and a government deciding that making that argument is inherently illegal.

        • SitD@feddit.de
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          7 months ago

          everyone who upvoted this comment is a brainlet social media activist and never did anything good for Palestine 👌😂 go on and confirm by downvoting here, polls are open.

      • BNE
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        7 months ago

        Hun, your slavish devotion to optics are shackles. Worse, you’re policing your peers, prioritizing the abstract appeal of your optics to a hypothetical other over their reality anchored and literal praxis.

        Kill the cop in your head, babe. We’ll be over here when you’re ready.

  • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    If this happened under Trump liberals would be up in arms. But it’s happening under Biden, so they don’t give a shit.

    • davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      Once Obama got in office, Democrat stans suddenly didn’t care about the Global War(s) on Terrorism anymore. They were silent on his star chamber as well. It was a real wake-up call for me.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
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      7 months ago

      Democrats, Republicans, its the same picture.

      Dems don’t even talk about Republicans or their policies anymore, they just namedrop trump then start preemptively blaming leftists for their losses as they tell leftists to eat dick and die.

    • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mlM
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      7 months ago

      Got your cart before the horse: the US controls Israel, the control Israeli lobbyists have over it is secondary to that.

      • impure9435@kbin.run
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        7 months ago

        If the US truly controlled Israel, they could force them to comply with UN resolutions, force them to ban settlements or force them into a ceasefire. The US built Israel, but these criminals are now strong enough not to have to listen to the US or anyone, not even the UN or the ICC.

        • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mlM
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          If the US truly controlled Israel, they could force them to comply with UN resolutions, force them to ban settlements or force them into a ceasefire.

          Could, but why would they want to? They have a little buddy doing their dirty work for them.

  • okamiueru@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Are all Israelis Jewish? The US is such a fucking joke at this point. And it’s tedious to block community after community on lemmy to avoid the noise of vapidness. Good luck with your fucked up politics.

    PS: I’d recommend excluding US specific news from “world news”. Not sure if this stuff is moderated, or if those who do, give af about it.

    • Alsephina@lemmy.mlOP
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      7 months ago

      The politics of the global hegemon affects the entire world, as much as we hate it. Specially when it’s regarding a country they’re currently committing genocide in.

    • makyo@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      3/4 are Jewish which is an overwhelming majority but I also think there are great reasons to separate the classifications of Israeli and Jew. Mainly because the state is not led by the religion but instead by elected leaders.

      Though that separation of church and state does seem to be diminishing as Bibi and his far right ultraorthodox cronies do seem to be slowly turning it into more of an authoritarian state.