Vote NO on S.558 – The “Antisemitism Awareness Act” Is a Threat to Free Speech

I am writing to strongly urge you to oppose S.558, the “Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025.” This bill seeks to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into U.S. law. That definition has been widely criticized by legal scholars, human rights organizations, and Jewish communities for dangerously conflating legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. Enshrining it in federal law would pose a grave threat to free speech and could be weaponized to silence students, educators, and advocates who speak out for Palestinian rights. Even the lead drafters of alternative frameworks, like the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, support confronting real antisemitism while also emphasizing that criticizing Israel’s policies—especially its apartheid system and occupation—is not inherently antisemitic. The IHRA definition, by contrast, has already been misused to punish protected political expression across U.S. campuses and institutions. As The Guardian reported, even a former UN expert on racism warned that adopting IHRA could chill legitimate discourse and shield Israel from accountability. Codifying IHRA is not about protecting Jewish people from hate—it’s about protecting a government from criticism. Antisemitism must be confronted vigorously and without compromise. But distorting its definition to criminalize dissent and undermine movements for justice—including within Jewish communities—only undermines that goal. I urge you in the strongest terms to vote NO on S.558. Uphold the First Amendment, reject this censorship, and stand on the side of human rights and real accountability.