A resolution condemning the sharp spike in antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel passed the House in an overwhelming vote Tuesday, though 92 Democrats didn’t vote because it equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
The bill passed in a 311 to 14 vote, with nearly all Republicans and a handful of Democrats voting in favor of the measure.
Lawmakers have passed a slate of resolutions showing support for Israel and standing with Jews in the U.S. This latest offering from the GOP was introduced by Reps. David Kustoff of Tennessee and Max Miller of Ohio, who are both Jewish.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Minnesota Republican, said there has been a 388% increase in the U.S. of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since the attack and Israel’s ensuing war on Hamas.
“Let’s make no mistake about it, never again is now, there can be no tolerance for antisemitism and intolerance includes silence,” Mr. Emmer said.
Many Democrats bucked the bill because it defended Zionism, the movement to establish a Jewish nation. Supporters of Israel view opposition to Zionism as antisemitic.
Jewish Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Dan Goldman of New York pressed their colleagues to vote “present” on the GOP-authored resolution and 92 Democrats heeded that call.
They argued that the latest legislation equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism — similar to a bill passed last week that saw lawmakers overwhelmingly reaffirming Israel’s right to exist — and was tone-deaf to the intricacies of Judaism, giving the example of the Satmar sect, a Hasidic Jewish movement “which remains staunchly anti-Zionist and quite obviously is not antisemitic.”
The lawmakers instead urged Speaker Mike Johnson to consider their bill, which similarly calls for a denouncement of antisemitism and the implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, funding for enforcement of Title VI to address antisemitism on college campuses and a funding boost for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against the bill. Similar to his Democratic peers, Mr. Massie voted against the bill because of the Zionism issue.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.