Lawmakers seek to strengthen fight against antisemitism in US

To combat a sharp rise in the number of antisemitic incidents erupting throughout the United States, including the murder of 11 Pittsburgh congregants in 2018, President Joe Biden 11 months ago released a plan.

The problem worsened last fall after Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., Canada and the European Union, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel’s retaliation against Hamas-ruled Gaza drew another increase in antisemitic actions, including attacks against Jewish college students on campuses and against Jewish-owned businesses in communities.

Now a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers want to strengthen the effort to combat the continued growth in antisemitism. They have introduced legislation to establish the first national coordinator to counter antisemitism and entrust that person with ensuring that Biden’s U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism is put into place.

“Antisemitism has been dramatically rising in the United States in the last several years and skyrocketed in the months since the horrific Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel,” said U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. “There have been countless disturbing stories of Jewish families accosted and assaulted on streets, Jewish businesses and places of worship vandalized and desecrated, and Jewish students threatened at colleges and universities.”

Leaders of Jewish organizations welcomed the bill.

“We think it will strengthen federal efforts in the fight against anti-Jewish hate,” said Marcia Bronstein, regional director for the American Jewish Committee.

Almost nine in 10 Jewish respondents said there was more discrimination against them since the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Seven in 10 Muslims said there was more discrimination against Muslims since the war began.

The legislation also is sponsored by U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who co-chairs a Senate task force on antisemitism with Rosen; and U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Chris Smith, R-N.J.; U.S. Reps. Kathy Manning, D-N.C.; and Randy Weber, R-Texas, who co-chair a House antisemitism task force.