Interfaith Alliance Opposes the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA)

On April 29th, Interfaith Alliance joined our colleagues at over 30 other organizations across civil society in opposing the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA). By giving the federal government the power to withhold funding from organizations who run afoul of a particular definition of antisemitism, the AAA would needlessly stifle political free speech and empower the administration’s repressive agenda. 

As the letter states, “Under the pretext of combating antisemitism, the Trump administration, through Executive Order 14188 Additional Measures To Combat Anti-Semitism, has cancelled or suspended billions in government grants and contracts to universities, limited First Amendment protected political speech on college campuses, attacked diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs, and arrested, detained, and deported legal permanent residents and foreign students. We oppose giving the administration any new tools to advance this unconstitutional radical agenda.”

Interfaith Alliance strongly supports any genuine effort aimed at addressing the very real problem of antisemitism, but this bill would not help us achieve that goal. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy laid bare his insincerity in addressing antisemitism when he successfully added an amendment aimed at serving as a concession to the over twenty House Republicans who voted against this bill because they object to the idea that accusing the Jews of killing Jesus is antisemitic. Scholars have rejected this claim as historically inaccurate and a key driver of antisemitic violence. 

Republican opposition to this bill reveals that people across the political spectrum understand that it will be used to undermine First Amendment protections. Antisemitism may be used now as a convenient way of attacking non-citizen students, but as Republican Senator Rand Paul pointed out, this bill could just as easily be used to target almost anyone – even to target Jewish comedians who make jokes about their own identities.

Since the start of the new administration, hundreds of Jewish faith leaders from across the country, including in North Carolina, Chicago, New Mexico, and Minnesota, have called out the weaponization of antisemitism to hurt other religious minorities. As a broad coalition of organizations wrote earlier this month, “We reject any policies or actions that foment or take advantage of antisemitism and pit communities against one another; and we unequivocally condemn the exploitation of our community’s real concerns about antisemitism to undermine democratic norms and rights, including the rule of law, the right of due process, and/or the freedoms of speech, press, and peaceful protest.” Let us follow their lead in supporting inclusive policies to take on antisemitism while respecting the dignity and humanity of all.

In January, Interfaith Alliance released our report, “Together Against Hate,” which illustrates our approach for fighting distinct forms of hatred and discrimination. As the country grapples with the rise of antisemitism and other hate-based violence, we must state clearly: we will stand strong against any form of hatred and will reject the weaponization of religion to further a hateful and repressive agenda. Interfaith Alliance strongly opposes this dangerous and ineffective policy for combatting antisemitism.

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