For Immediate Release: May 1, 2025
Media Contact: [email protected]
NEW YORK, NY – Bend the Arc: Jewish Action released the following statement from CEO Jamie Beran in response to delays in moving the Antisemitism Awareness Act:
“For years, many members of Congress and Jewish organizations supported The Antisemitism Awareness Act with good intent, seeking to do more to fight antisemitism that endangers Jews and our democracy. But many of us have also raised concern because the bill conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, politicizing the real fight against antisemitism, making Jews less safe, and potentially fueling more antisemitism.
Recently, Republicans began to champion this bill as a smokescreen for their own antisemitism, finally pulling back the curtain and making their intentions fully clear. They are using this bill to advocate for snatching immigrant students from their homes and tearing down the free speech rights standing in the way of full-blown MAGA fascism.
This week, MAGA Republicans added a carveout to this bill to maintain their right to spread the antisemitic idea that “Jews killed Jesus.” That’s right: they added protections for literal antisemitism to a bill about fighting antisemitism. And after our champions in Congress introduced critical amendments to the bill, AIPAC and others protested one such amendment, which made clear that criticism of the Israeli government actions in Gaza are not inherently antisemitic (exposing both of their outside agendas — none having to do with ending antisemitism).
Thankfully, our champions in Congress are working to prevent Trump from getting even more tools to enact his plan for authoritarian rule and were successfully able to delay a vote on the bill this week. But we need even more Democratic opposition. There should be a single digit number of Democrats still supporting this bill. And that single digit should be zero.”
In April, Bend The Arc: Jewish Action wrote to Bill Cassidy, the Chair of Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Senator Bernie Sanders, its Ranking Member and members of the committee to oppose the Antisemitism Awareness Act, and recently, Bend The Arc: Jewish Action joined a broad Jewish coalition letter opposing the bill.
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Photo by Jessica Rodriguez Rivas
