No. of Recommendations: 5
Congressman Fine of Florida has introduced the following legislation:
H. R. 6186
To require public elementary schools, public secondary schools, and institutions of higher education to treat discrimination motivated by antisemitism in an identical manner to how such school or institution treats discrimination motivated by race, and for other purposes.So far, it sounds OK. It goes on to protect Jewish people in the same way that racial minorities are protected against discrimination. All fine. Then it goes off the rails:
(iii) Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a Jewish person or group, Israel, or for acts committed by a non-Jewish individual.
(iv) Accusing Jews as a people or Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
(vi) Demonizing Israel by using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism to characterize Israel or Israelis, drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, or blaming Israel for all interreligious or political tensions
(vii) Applying a double standard to Israel by requiring behavior of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic country, or focusing peace or human rights investigations only on Israel.
(viii) Delegitimizing Israel by denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination and denying Israel the right to exist.Then, he tries to salvage it with this:
(C) EXCEPTION.—The term “antisemitism” does not include criticism of Israel that is similar to criticism towards any other country.full text of the bill here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house...Seems the Congressman wants to outlaw any criticism of the current Israeli government in US schools, as "antisemitism". Is there any other government, in the world, that is similarly given a free pass? Trump accuses South Africa of "genocide" wrt that country's white residents. But we can't criticize Israel for genocide against Pals in Gaza or the West Bank, because doing so would be "antisemitic"? The state of Israel cannot be criticized for "exaggerating the Holocaust"?
Who does our Congress serve, when it seeks to abridge our First Amendment rights, with regard to one foreign country?
Steve
