this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
452 points (98.5% liked)

World News

32365 readers
587 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the federal definition of anti-Semitism, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

If the bill were to become law, it would codify a definition of anti-Semitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.

According to the IHRA, that definition also encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”.

The group also includes certain examples in its definition to illustrate anti-Semitism. Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.

Rights groups, however, have raised concerns the definition nevertheless conflates criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.

“Instead, it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.”

Archive link

(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

These people must know all this does is destroy the legitimacy of your authority. Israel is committing genocide. Its happening. Changing legal definitions will not change how many bodies are piled in Gaza. The mounds of dead children cannot be legislated into something moral.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 months ago

These people must know all this does is destroy the legitimacy of your authority.

I think I know what they think - that their authority doesn't stand on legitimacy, it stands on power. The difference between now and 20 years ago is that modern Web and mass media are better controlled by them, and modern surveillance is another world.

They don't care about "moral", they think we'll just eat it and shut up.

They are fine with a few protests which won't change the outcome.

Notice how protests in the last decade or so have become less violent, while the crimes against humanity of those governments have become more blatant.

That's not a coincidence, it's a strategy of controlling population bringing fruit. People more likely to lead movements are detected and neutralized without ever knowing it, maybe through connectivity, maybe through disinformation, maybe through directing their attention at wrong things, maybe through various kinds of pressure, and I'm sure in a miraculous case where these don't work nobody will notice a sudden death here and there.

Internationalization of KGB has happened. In Soviet times that was simply a very inefficient system, so it sucked balls compared to the western ones. But now the west both gradually reduced freedoms considered normal, making such control less expensive, and also modern technologies raised its efficiency quite a lot.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 11 points 6 months ago

That's called a Nazi apologist law. That's making a subset of Nazis accepted and censoring those against them at the same time.

I thought I won't see such decay in my lifetime, but then life is never boring.

[–] kerrigan778@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

As a Jew I have never felt less respected by Congress than them appropriating the concept of antisemitism to further their own oppressive political ends. Fuck it's so gross.

[–] unreasonabro@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This would make more sense if Israel weren't actively being nazis right now! Like, if they weren't being nazis, it'd be really annoying to get called a nazi when you aren't being a nazi, but these guys... i mean, they're kinda just being nazis, there's not really two ways about it. Admittedly the palestinians are hitting back harder than the jews were able to at the time, but trying to wipe people out is kinda enough to get called a nazi, and rightly so, even if they are defending themselves however poorly

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 months ago

Admittedly the palestinians are hitting back harder than the jews were able to at the time,

No they are not. A few Israelis killed here and there is not "harder". Just modern weapons are different.

[–] ogmios@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 months ago

What an odd thing to say...

[–] Ultragigagigantic@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Nazis: "we will fight to the death for your right to speak it!"

Divest israel: "Believe it or not, jail, right away."

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] finkrat@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Modern Israel is not Judaism! It's not the same theocracy described in the old testament. It's not even religiously pure, there's a sizeable Christian and Muslim population. It's perfectly valid to respect Jews and and their beliefs, and to criticize Netanyahu's government for attempting to crush Palestine and kill its civilians indiscriminately in raids. Jewish folks in the US and abroad are joining in the protests to stop the war - this isn't about being antisemitic, this is telling a very atrocious government to stop behaving as a similarly atrocious government did 80 years ago

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.de 5 points 6 months ago

Even the Jewish community in Germany is against Netanjahus way of treating Palestine.

[–] johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Note that this isn't going anywhere; the senate won't take it up.

[–] Shyfer@ttrpg.network 5 points 6 months ago

Hope you're right!

load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›