1. United States
2. Nev.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2024 (SB 4127) and to urge you to vote against it. While I strongly oppose antisemitism in all its forms, I believe this bill, which incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, may have unintended consequences. The IHRA definition has been criticized for potentially conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies with antisemitism, which could stifle free speech and academic freedom. This is particularly concerning in educational settings where open dialogue is essential. More than 1,200 Jewish scholars have voiced concerns that the bill might criminalize legitimate discourse on Israel's policies, which is crucial for a healthy democratic society. Moreover, the IHRA definition is being used as ammunition against the pro-liberation of Palestine movement, silencing advocates and labeling them as antisemitic for their criticism of Israel's policies toward Palestinians[1][4][5]. This misuse undermines efforts to address genuine antisemitism and threatens free speech rights. I urge you to consider these implications and the potential impact on civil liberties. Please vote against SB 4127 and support efforts that effectively combat antisemitism without infringing on constitutional rights. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. --- Sources: [1] How a Leading Definition of Antisemitism Has Been Weaponized ... https://www.thenation.com/article/society/ihra-definition-antisemitism/ [2] Working definition of antisemitism - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_definition_of_antisemitism [3] Human Rights and other Civil Society Groups Urge United Nations to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human [4] Challenging the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism https://www.uccpin.org/challenging-the-ihra-definition-of-antisemitism [5] Distorted Definition: Silencing Advocacy for Palestinian Rights https://palestinelegal.org/distorted-definition [6] Will the US adopt IHRA's anti-Semitism definition? What's the controversy? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/8/will-the-us-adopt-ihras-anti-semitism-definition-whats-the-controversy [7] What is antisemitism? https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism [8] Antisemitism and Zionism: The Internal Operations of the IHRA ... https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19436149.2024.2330821