House Passes Bill To Codify Definition Of Anti-Semitism
The GOP-led House delivered a forceful response to the surge of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hostility sweeping American campuses, passing legislation that would formally adopt a widely recognized definition of antisemitism as a federal guide for enforcing civil rights protections. The move comes after pro-Hamas demonstrations and anti-Jewish harassment erupted across universities nationwide, prompting growing public outrage and congressional scrutiny.
The bill — championed by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) — passed with a strong bipartisan margin of 320–91, though a majority of the opposition came from Democrats. The legislation would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on shared ancestry and ethnic traits. The measure now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain.
The IHRA’s working definition states that antisemitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” The definition also recognizes that antisemitism can manifest through verbal or physical attacks against Jewish individuals, non-Jews, communal institutions, or places of worship.
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik celebrated the bill, emphasizing its connection to President Donald Trump’s earlier efforts to safeguard Jewish students. She wrote on X:
“I fully support @RepMikeLawler’s Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023. This bill codifies President Trump’s Executive Order and is an incredibly important step to ensure that Jewish students and community members at America’s universities feel safe once again on campus and sends a clear message that @HouseGOP will not tolerate antisemitism anywhere.”
Democrats were divided. Rep. Jerry Nadler — one of the House’s most vocal critics of the measure — argued that the IHRA definition could raise concerns about protecting certain forms of political speech. Nadler warned from the floor that some of IHRA’s “contemporary examples” of antisemitism may involve “protected speech in certain contexts, particularly concerning criticism of the state of Israel.”
A handful of Republicans echoed concerns about potential impacts on free expression. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) questioned whether the law could be weaponized and noted the bill itself does not provide a separate definition of antisemitism. On X, he called the legislation “poorly conceived and unconstitutional.”
Rep. Lawler’s office, however, maintains that using the IHRA definition is essential. When the bill was first introduced in October — shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre — Lawler’s office said the definition is “a key step in calling out antisemitism where it is and ensuring antisemitic hate crimes on college campuses are properly investigated and prosecuted.”
The Senate is already engaged in bipartisan discussions on adopting the IHRA framework, reflecting a growing awareness that federal civil rights protections must apply equally — including for Jewish students who have faced escalating threats and harassment.
This week, those concerns intensified as a congressional committee launched an investigation into rising antisemitism in Berkeley’s school district. The House Education and Workforce Committee sent letters to three major school systems — Philadelphia, Berkeley Unified, and Fairfax County Public Schools — amid allegations that district officials failed to protect Jewish children.
According to a letter authored by Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Subcommittee Chair Kevin Kiley (R-CA), “Jewish and Israeli students have allegedly been regularly bullied and harassed,” beginning after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The letter states students in Berkeley schools were “subjected to open antisemitism in their classrooms and hallways.”
The lawmakers added that “Some teachers and administrators across BUSD allegedly facilitate and encourage this hostility, while others fail to act in response to it.”
Their investigation follows a formal complaint filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League, citing “severe and persistent” discrimination occurring throughout Berkeley’s K–12 schools.
As campus unrest continues and schools face deepening scrutiny, the House’s push to formally define antisemitism marks one of the most significant federal steps yet to rein in the radicalization and anti-Jewish hostility emerging across American education systems.