A coalition of nearly 700 Jewish college faculty members have addressed a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to reconsider his support for the Antisemitism Awareness Act due to its association with the International Holocaust Awareness Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The letter, signed by academics from institutions across the U.S. and internationally, warns that the bill’s reliance on the IHRA’s definition risks equating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
The letter explicitly states, “Criticism of the state of Israel, the Israeli government, policies of the Israeli government, or Zionist ideology is not — in and of itself — antisemitic.” It argues that codifying the IHRA’s definition in federal law could suppress the voices of those advocating for Palestinian rights and wrongfully conflate criticism of Israel with hostility towards Jews.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) expressed a similar concern, emphasizing that while he remains committed to combating antisemitism, he cannot support a “misguided bill” that could infringe on free speech rights. “It threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech,” he explained.
The IHRA’s definition broadly describes antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” and includes examples such as the denial of the Holocaust or the calling for harm against Jews. The signatories acknowledge that antisemitism must be actively opposed but argue that the IHRA’s specific wording risks conflating genuine human rights advocacy with discrimination. Instead, they propose adopting a different framework that addresses antisemitism without stifling legitimate discourse.
The conversation surrounding antisemitism has intensified in recent weeks, almost always making no distinctions between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. President Biden reiterated his administration’s commitment to fighting antisemitism, announcing a series of new measures, including Department of Education guidelines, but at the same time he has urged Israel to take greater measures to safeguard the lives of civilians in their strikes on Gaza.
