WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) hailed Thursday night’s unanimous passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of a resounding Congressional condemnation of anti-Semitism and rejection of attempts to justify expressions of anti-Jewish hatred or violence targeting Jews as merely criticism of Israel.
The bipartisan resolution clearly delineates when opposition to a policy crosses the line into hatred and scapegoating of Jews and calls on Secretary of State John Kerry to take specific action to confront this corrosive and dangerous phenomenon. In the resolution, Congress also embraced the foreign leaders of France, Italy and Germany who have condemned anti-Semitic acts.
The resolution pointed to the recent findings of ADL’s Global 100 Index of Anti-Semitism, a poll of public attitudes in more than 100 countries which found more than one-quarter of the world’s population harbors deeply entrenched anti-Semitic attitudes.
Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
The eruption of anti-Semitism in the past few months goes beyond what we have seen even during other times of tensions, sounding an alarm which the U.S. House of Representatives has responded to magnificently.
During Israel’s operation to stop the firing of rockets by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, ADL tracked physical attacks on Jews, Molotov cocktails thrown at synagogues, swastikas spray painted throughout Jewish neighborhoods, chants at anti-Israel rallies calling for “Death to the Jews” and anti-Semitic rhetoric on social media and the internet. These examples of incidents against Jews in communities around the world are proof that the line was crossed from political protest into scapegoating.
This resolution sends a resounding message to the world about what is best in America and America’s resolve to confront this ugly and dangerous hatred. We deeply appreciate the House’s leadership in providing a moral voice and standing up for the safety and security of those Jewish communities around the world who are once again being threatened by anti-Semitic violence and intimidation.
We hope world leaders and parliaments will echo Congress’s call by demonstrating the will to ensure anti-Semitism has no place in their countries and that Jews have the right to live free of harassment and the fear of violence solely because they are Jewish.
ADL commend Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Kay Granger (R-TX) for introducing this important resolution, and for their leadership in speaking out about the surge of anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, Latin America, and even in the U.S.
The resolution was co-sponsored by more than 140 Members of Congress and an overwhelming number of Representatives have made statements on the House floor and written letters to Secretary Kerry and to the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Ira Forman.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League