Another one. Always more and more bills that are meant to eliminate our rights and repress our voices, and this one does both. The House of Representatives just passed the Antisemitism Awareness Bill. The intent of this bill is to make you aware that any criticism of Zionism is condemned by the US government and that Board of Education can take action towards students who express those criticisms.
Because this bill uses the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, their definition is really anything negative said to a Jewish person is considered antisemitic. These are examples from the Holocaust Remembrance Alliance website provided:
Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
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.
Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
Now, to be clear, protesters are not attacking the Jewish faith. Protesters are anti-Zionist. Some of the above examples prohibit any criticizing of Zionists and holding their actions accountable for what they are, which is committing genocide and stealing land from Palestinians. Not all Jewish people are Zionists but this bill equates Zionism to all Jewish people. Zionists are extremely racist and the entire state of Israel is a literal racist endeavor. Zionists are not entitled to this land because Palestinians were living on this land until Israel killed and removed Palestinians. If this bill passes, then what was just stated would be condemned by the US government.
If this bill passes, this would directly affect student protesters which are all anti-Zionist. This would give colleges the power to silence students.
This bill incorrectly affirms that it does not affect First Amendment rights when it does. How was this bill even passed? This directly impairs people’s First Amendment rights to free speech. There are already antisemitic clauses within the Civil Rights Act which directly protect Jewish people from antisemitism so why is this needed? Well, that just the thing, it is needed so that elected officials can demand that college administrators silence anti-Zionist protesters.
Many of the students who say they are scared while on campus feel that they are being attacked because they are Jewish. If a student fears for their safety, they should be allowed to attend online courses for the term until they feel safe. This allows for students to protest and for Jewish students who say they feel unsafe to regain their safety. Another idea is to have open discussions between protesters and Jewish students that allege they are being targeted. Maybe, once these students understand that these protesters are not against their faith, they will feel realize no one wants to harm them over their faith. Many of the protesters are Jewish which should assuage those fears of some students. Colleges should be hosting discussions and panels so that everyone’s views could be heard. This is the role of universities, to empower their students through discourse and analyzation.
Students are being violently arrested for their support of Palestine and wanting universities to divest from Israel. This bill would try to cut off student voices. The House is also discussing probes into college demonstrations on top of restricting student First Amendment rights, which could lead to loss of grants and funding to some universities.
Why is no one is asking is for the rights of student protesters to be further protected? Why isn’t Congress protecting students right to free speech? Why isn’t Congress protecting Palestinian American and Muslim Americans from targeted hate?
Why is this bill that disingenuously claims it expands protections of rights but does the exact opposite, and Americans accept the loss of their rights?
Why are US elected officials increasing their attacks on our rights? It’s because they are more and more threatened over their loss of power. They have lost our respect and credibility. It is clear they are not in elected office to help Americans or protect our rights, but to profit off of us and oppress us. When the majority of Americans want the genocide in Palestine to end and for the US to no longer arm or fund Israel, and US elected officials ignore our demands, it is critical that they are removed from power because these elected officials do not believe in representing their constituency or the democratic system. They want one thing and that is control. Students are proving that they cannot be controlled and this is the governments response, to exert more control over students.
This is what fascists do. Republican or Democrat, it does not matter. This bill passed overwhelming with only 91 votes against. More than likely it will pass in the Senate.
US elected officials are restricting our rights. These attacks against our rights will increase. Even when the genocide in Palestine ends, the loss of food and healthy environments due to climate change is also at play in all of these actions to eliminate our rights (denying asylum seekers, border walls, wars over land, green colonialism, and ecocide).
Vote them all out. It is time we restructure our government and give the power to the people. If we allow people to vote on what the House and Senate vote on, then there is no need for elected officials. Let the people vote and let us decide for ourselves. With some changes to our democratic structure, this would eliminate the corrupt politicians who do not stand for progress but only for regression. If we had this structure of an actual democracy, the American people would have voted months ago to an arms embargo on Israel and to end funding to Israel. This war would be over at this point. US taxpayer dollars would be spent on what Americans would want it spent on like healthcare, education, the environment, and infrastructure.
From the river to the sea, may Palestine be free. May the whole world be free.
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Articles for reference. Please read and share.
Al Jazeera: US House passes controversial bill that expands definition of anti-Semitism
The Guardian: US House votes to pass antisemitism bill in response to campus protests
*It needs to be stated that the media is heavily pushing the narrative that student protesters are violent and attacking Jewish students. The same media is not reporting that many of the protesters are in fact Jewish. Protesters are being vilified in the articles and made out to be violent and harmful when the encampments have made their schedules public and these students are doing yoga, arts and crafts, and offering panel discussions. Reporting is very one-sided and biased. It was not easy to find clear information about the Antisemitism Awareness Bill.