(RNS) — Some 1,200 Jewish university professors have signed a strongly worded statement rejecting a controversial antisemitism definition that the U.S. Senate is considering codifying in federal law.The Statement from Concerned Jewish Faculty Against Antisemitism was delivered to key congressional leaders on Tuesday (May 14), including Senate Democrats, members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce as well as Biden’s White House Liaison to the American Jewish community.
The Jewish professors’ statement opposes any effort to enshrine into federal law the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which they say conflates antisemitism with criticism of the state of Israel. Among the signers is Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe, journalist and professor Peter Beinart and Yale law and history professor Samuel Moyn.
The IHRA definition has come under immense criticism for stating that manifestations of antisemitism “might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.” It offers several examples, such as: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.”
The professors’ statement reads: “Criticism of the state of Israel, the Israeli government, policies of the Israeli government, or Zionist ideology is not — in and of itself — antisemitic.”
Earlier this month, in an effort to crack down on antisemitic speech on college campuses, …
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The Jewish professors’ statement opposes any effort to enshrine into federal law the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which they say conflates antisemitism with criticism of the state of Israel. Among the signers is Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe, journalist and professor Peter Beinart and Yale law and history professor Samuel Moyn.
The IHRA definition has come under immense criticism for stating that manifestations of antisemitism “might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.” It offers several examples, such as: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.”
The professors’ statement reads: “Criticism of the state of Israel, the Israeli government, policies of the Israeli government, or Zionist ideology is not — in and of itself — antisemitic.”
Earlier this month, in an effort to crack down on antisemitic speech on college campuses, …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]