[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2292 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2292
To require a report on acts of anti-Semitism around the world.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 7, 2004
Mr. Voinovich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a report on acts of anti-Semitism around the world.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of
2004''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Acts of anti-Semitism in countries throughout the
world, including some of the world's strongest democracies,
have increased significantly in frequency and scope over the
last several years.
(2) During the first 3 months of 2004, there were numerous
instances of anti-Semitic violence around the world, including
the following incidents:
(A) In Australia on January 5, 2004, poison was
used to ignite, and burn anti-Semitic slogans into, the
lawns of the Parliament House in the state of Tasmania.
(B) In St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 15,
2004, vandals desecrated approximately 50 gravestones
in a Jewish cemetery, painting the stones with
swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti.
(C) In Toronto, Canada, over the weekend of March
19 through March 21, 2004, vandals attacked a Jewish
school, a Jewish cemetery, and area synagogues,
painting swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans on the
walls of a synagogue and on residential property in a
nearby, predominantly Jewish, neighborhood.
(D) In Toulon, France, on March 23, 2004, a Jewish
synagogue and community center were set on fire.
(3) Anti-Semitism in old and new forms is also increasingly
emanating from the Arab and Muslim world on a sustained basis,
including through books published by government-owned
publishing houses in Egypt and other Arab countries.
(4) In November 2002, state-run television in Egypt
broadcast the anti-Semitic series entitled ``Horseman Without a
Horse,'' which is based upon the fictitious conspiracy theory
know as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols have
been used throughout the last century by despots such as Adolf
Hitler to justify violence against Jews.
(5) In November 2003, Arab television featured an anti-
Semitic series, entitled ``Ash-Shatat'' (or ``The Diaspora''),
which depicts Jewish people hatching a plot for Jewish control
of the world.
(6) The sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence has caused
international organizations such as the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to elevate, and bring
renewed focus to, the issue, including the convening by the
OSCE in June 2003 of a conference in Vienna dedicated solely to
the issue of anti-Semitism.
(7) The OSCE will again convene a conference dedicated to
addressing the problem of anti-Semitism on April 28-29, 2004,
in Berlin, with the United States delegation to be led by
former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch.
(8) The United States Government has strongly supported
efforts to address anti-Semitism through bilateral
relationships and interaction with international organizations
such as the OSCE, the European Union, and the United Nations.
(9) Congress has consistently supported efforts to address
the rise in anti-Semitic violence. During the 107th Congress,
both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed
resolutions expressing strong concern with the sharp escalation
of anti-Semitic violence in Europe and calling on the
Department of State to thoroughly document the phenomenon.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Government should continue to
strongly support efforts to combat anti-Semitism worldwide
through bilateral relationships and interaction with
international organizations such as the OSCE; and
(2) the Department of State should thoroughly document acts
of anti-Semitism that occur around the world.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on
International Relations of the House of Representatives a report on
acts of anti-Semitism around the world, including a description of--
(1) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of,
Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of,
Jewish community institutions, such as schools, synagogues, or
cemeteries, that occurred in each country;
(2) the responses of the governments of those countries to
such actions;
(3) the actions taken by such governments to enact and
enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to
religious freedom of Jewish people; and
(4) the efforts by such governments to promote anti-bias
and tolerance education.
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