Rep .marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on May 8, 2024. Photo by Allison Robbert / Bloomberg
By Jacob Kornbluh
April 29, 2025
The Senate Republicans added an amendment to bipartite legislation on the increase in anti -Semitism on university campuses which could be considered a concession to the Christian conservatives who wanted to protect those who preach that the Jews killed Jesus.
The final language of the law on anti -Semitism awareness was published Tuesday online before a vote of the Committee.
The additional language, which is called “manager’s amendment” and proposed by the chairman of the committee, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, declares that the legislation would “decrease or be the right protected by the first amendment to the constitution of the United States, including the free exercise of religion”.
The bill would oblige the Ministry of Education to use the controversial definition of the International Alliance of Holocaust of the Holocaust of Anti -Semitism – which classifies most antianisms as anti -Semitic – during the investigation into allegations of discrimination.
He went to the House last May by an overwhelming majority of 320-91, but was blocked in the Senate due to a certain resistance on freedom of expression protected by the Constitution. On Wednesday morning, it was reintroduced to the House and is in the process of voting to the Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Democrats who oppose the definition of the IHRA are opposed to what they say to be the criminalization of the criticism of Israel. Of the 11 examples of anti -Semitic speeches, Ihra understands, six have to do with Israel.
But for many of the 21 Republicans who voted against the bill last year, in particular the representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene and the former member of the Congress Matt Gaetz, the problem is an example which says that the accusation of the Jews of Deicide is anti-Semitic. The affirmation that the Jews killed Jesus is largely considered an anti -Semitic lie.
At least two republican members of the senatorial committee who will vote on the bill, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Roger Marshall of Kansas, expressed their objections due to concerns concerning religious freedom and the capacity to express certain opinions.
As only amendment, Cassidy’s language on religious freedom could reassure the Republicans that their rights as Christians will not be raped and potentially guarantee their votes, according to two familiar ancient policy strategists with discussions on legislation.
A Cassidy representative did not immediately return a request for comments.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Before leaving, I would like to ask you to support the Before.
More than ever, American Jews need independent news in whom they can trust, with relationships motivated by the truth, not on ideology. We use you, no ideological agenda.
At a time when other editorial rooms close or cut, the Before Deleted his paid wall and invested additional resources to report on the field of Israel and the United States on the impact of war, the increase in anti-Semitism and polarized discourse.
This is the ideal time to support independent Jewish journalism on which you count. Make a gift today!
– Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
