House resolution condemns antisemitism after 'drastic' rise in anti-Jewish attacks
Some Democrats called the resolution "disingenuous" for equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
The US House has passed a resolution condemning antisemitism as anti-Jewish hate crimes increase dramatically following the October 7 Hamas attacks.
The Republican-led resolution aims to combat the "drastic rise" in anti-Jewish sentiment by positing that "anti-Zionism is antisemitism." Zionism refers to the 19th century movement that aimed to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine.
The language has drawn condemnation from Democrats, most of whom voted either no or "present."
It comes amid a spate of anti-Jewish attacks in the US. On Tuesday, FBI director Christopher Wray told Senators that the country has seen a 60 percent spike in hate crime investigations after the October 7 attacks.
READ MORE: FBI chief warns US threat level at highest in years
The @HouseGOP is attempting to weaponize Jewish lives for political gain. The explosion of antisemitism worldwide deserves a bipartisan, all of government approach. pic.twitter.com/PdLxHNlURL
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) December 5, 2023
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Tuesday's resolution, which is not a bill, comes after a previous resolution condemning "terrorist groups" and antisemtism on college campuses.
Ninety-two Democrats voted present, 13 voted no, and only one Republican voted against it.
Speaking on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York criticized the assumption that "anti-Zionism is antisemism" as "intellectually disingenuous or factually wrong.
"The authors, if they were at all familiar with Jewish history and culture, should know about Jewish anti-Zionism that was, and is, expressly not antisemitic," he said.
On Twitter, the Democratic lawmaker accused Republicans of "weaponizing" Jewish lives.
Muslim and Jewish groups say hate crimes targeting their constituents have jumped since the start of the recent Israel-Hamas War.
The Anti-Defamation League says it recorded 312 antisemitic incidents between October 7 and 23, 190 of which were directly linked to the war.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, meanwhile, says it got 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias in the weeks between October 7 and November 4, amounting to a 216 percent jump from the average period last year.
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