Members of Congress introduce bill calling for coordinated federal efforts to counter antisemitism

• Published date: 10 April 2024
• Author: HANNAH SARISOHN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The bill is sponsored by the co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) along with Reps. Kathy Manning (D-NC), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Randy Weber (R-TX)

The bill will establish a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism within the White House who would serve as the president's principal adviser on countering domestic antisemitism and chair an interagency task force. The National Coordinator will also conduct an annual analysis of the spread of antisemitism online and provide recommendations to Congress on how to counter it.

Under the bill, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center will have to jointly produce an annual threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism.

The bill will also establish May as "Jewish American Heritage Month" in federal law.

US Jews feel their status is less secure

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who spearheaded the bill, said in a statement that since October 7 there have been countless disturbing stories of Jewish families accosted and assaulted on streets, Jewish businesses and places of worship vandalized and desecrated and Jewish students threatened at colleges and universities.

In the statement, American Jewish Committee Ted Deutch said an AJC report found 63% of American Jews feel the status of Jews is less secure than one year ago — more than a 20 percentage point increase in just one year. One in four reported they were the target of an antisemitic...