[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 707 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 707

Condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and rejecting attempts to justify 
 anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of 
disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or 
                               elsewhere.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2014

  Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Roskam, and Mrs. Lowey) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and rejecting attempts to justify 
 anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of 
disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or 
                               elsewhere.

Whereas there is clear evidence of increasing incidents and expressions of anti-
        Semitism throughout the world;
Whereas the United States Department of State released this week the 
        International Religious Freedom Report for 2013 and noted in the 
        Executive Summary, ``Throughout Europe, the historical stain of anti-
        Semitism continued to be a fact of life on Internet fora, in soccer 
        stadiums, and through Nazi-like salutes, leading many individuals who 
        are Jewish to conceal their religious identity.'';
Whereas anti-Semitic acts committed and recorded in 2014 around the world, 
        including countries in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and North 
        America, include incidents of murder at Jewish sites, violent attacks 
        and death threats against Jews, as well as gun violence, arson, 
        graffiti, anti-Semitic cartoons, and other property desecration at 
        Jewish places of worship and communal activity;
Whereas a survey by the Anti-Defamation League of attitudes towards Jews in more 
        than 100 countries around the world, released in May 2014 found that 
        over a quarter of the people surveyed (26 percent) hold anti-Semitic 
        views, a stunning indicator of the stubborn resilience of anti-Semitic 
        beliefs, even in countries where no Jews reside;
Whereas anti-Semitic attitudes in the Middle East and North Africa (74 percent) 
        far surpass those in any other region;
Whereas the finding that 70 percent of those around the world who harbor anti-
        Semitic attitudes have never met a Jew shows how deeply embedded 
        stereotypes of Jews that developed over centuries are in the 
        consciousness of many countries and societies;
Whereas the Anti-Defamation League survey also found that a majority of people 
        surveyed overall have either not heard of the Holocaust or do not 
        believe it happened as has been documented by factual accounts and 
        recorded by history;
Whereas this month Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban erected a monument 
        commemorating the Nazi Occupation of Hungary that white washes the 
        Hungarian government's role in deporting over 400,000 Jews, most of whom 
        died in Auschwitz;
Whereas President Barack Obama said in his remarks at the USC Shoah Foundation 
        Dinner on May 7, 2014, ``. . . if the memories of the Shoah survivors 
        teach us anything, it is that silence is evil's greatest co-conspirator. 
        And it's up to us--each of us, every one of us--to forcefully condemn 
        any denial of the Holocaust. It's up to us to combat not only anti-
        Semitism, but racism and bigotry and intolerance in all their forms, 
        here and around the world. It's up to us to speak out against rhetoric 
        that threatens the existence of a Jewish homeland and to sustain 
        America's unshakeable commitment to Israel's security'';
Whereas in 2004, Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act, which 
        established an Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, headed by a 
        Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism;
Whereas the United States Government has consistently supported efforts to 
        address the rise in anti-Semitism through its bilateral relationships 
        and through engagement in international organizations such as the United 
        Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
        (OSCE), and the Organization of American States (OAS);
Whereas during Israel's July 2014 Operation Protective Edge aiming to stem the 
        rocket fire and terrorist infiltrations by Hamas, Jews and Jewish 
        institutions and property have been attacked in Europe and elsewhere, 
        including attempts to invade a synagogue in Paris, fire-bombings of 
        synagogues in France and Germany, assaults on Jewish individuals, and 
        swastikas spray-painted in a heavily Jewish area of London and also in 
        Rome's historic Jewish quarter;
Whereas anti-Semitic imagery and comparisons of Jews and Israel to Nazis have 
        been on display at demonstrations against Israel's actions in Gaza 
        around the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, 
        including--

    (1) placards held at many demonstrations across the globe comparing 
Israeli leaders to Nazis, accusing Israel of carrying out a ``Holocaust'' 
against Palestinians, and equating the Jewish Star of David with the Nazi 
swastika, and

    (2) demonstrations that have included chants of ``Death to Jews'', 
``Death to Israel'', or expressions of support for suicide terrorism 
against Israeli or Jewish civilians;

Whereas Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's continued anti-Israel 
        incitement, including stating that Israel's defense against Hamas rocket 
        fire is ``barbarism that surpasses Hitler'', sparks unwarranted anger 
        towards Jews and endangers the Turkish Jewish community and Jews around 
        the world;
Whereas the Governments in France, Germany, and Italy, the three countries where 
        the majority of incidents have occurred, have strongly condemned anti-
        Semitism as unacceptable in European society, including French President 
        Hollande and Prime Minister Valls, German Chancellor Merkel, and the 
        foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy collectively, have all 
        made clear statements that such attacks on their Jewish communities are 
        intolerable, and they have matched those words with strong law 
        enforcement;
Whereas some civil society leaders have set strong examples, including the 
        condemnation by the Union of Mosques of France, on behalf of their 500 
        mosques, called the attacks ``morally unjust and unacceptable'', and 
        stated, ``nothing can justify any act that could harm our Jewish 
        compatriots, their institutions or their places of worship'' and, in 
        Germany, the largest circulation paper, Bild, featured statements 
        against anti-Semitism from politicians, business leaders, civic leaders, 
        media personalities and celebrities with ``Never Again Jew Hatred'' on 
        the front page; and
Whereas Congress supports freedom of expression and the right to criticize any 
        government or its policy and has played an essential role in shining a 
        spotlight on the resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) unequivocally condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and 
        rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred or violent 
        attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval or 
        frustration over political events in the Middle East or 
        elsewhere;
            (2) decries and condemns the comparison of Israel to Nazis 
        perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide as an insult to the memory 
        of those who perished in the Holocaust and an affront to those 
        who survived and their children and grandchildren, the 
        righteous gentiles who saved Jewish lives at peril to their own 
        lives and to those who bravely fought to defeat the Nazis;
            (3) applauds those foreign leaders, especially in France, 
        Italy, and Germany, who have condemned anti-Semitic acts and 
        calls on those who have yet to take firm action against anti-
        Semitism in their countries, to do so;
            (4) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the United 
        States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism;
            (5) pledges to support and expand Holocaust educational 
        programs at home and abroad to increase awareness, counter 
        prejudice, and enhance efforts to teach the universal lessons 
        of the Holocaust; and
            (6) urges the Secretary of State to--
                    (A) maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a 
                United States foreign policy priority and to convey 
                United States concern in bilateral meetings;
                    (B) ensure that the instruments of United States 
                public diplomacy including President Barack Obama's 
                emissary to the Organization of the Islamic Conference 
                pursue ways to address the issue of anti-Semitism where 
                data show it is needed most;
                    (C) ensure high-level United States participation 
                in the 2014 Organization for Security and Cooperation 
                in Europe high level event marking the 10th anniversary 
                of the 2004 OSCE Berlin Declaration against anti-
                Semitism;
                    (D) urge governments to ensure that adequate laws 
                are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence and hate 
                crimes as well as establish mechanisms to monitor, 
                investigate and punish perpetrators;
                    (E) continue robust United States reporting on 
                anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom 
                issue by the Department of State and the Special Envoy 
                to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism;
                    (F) provide necessary training and instruction for 
                personnel posted in United States embassies and 
                missions to analyze and report on anti-Semitic 
                incidents as well as the response of governments to 
                those incidents and to hate crimes in general;
                    (G) ensure that United States efforts to train law 
                enforcement personnel and prosecutors abroad 
                incorporate tools to address anti-Semitism and other 
                bias motivated incidents;
                    (H) deepen engagement with the Organization for 
                Security and Cooperation in Europe and support its 
                specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-
                Semitism, including through support for its law 
                enforcement and civil society training programs; and
                    (I) redouble his commitment to oppose all efforts 
                to prevent any individual from freely exercising their 
                religion without fear of prosecution or violence.
                                 <all>