[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 127 (Friday, October 8, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H9027-H9029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                GLOBAL ANTI-SEMITISM REVIEW ACT OF 2004

  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on International Relations be discharged from further 
consideration of the Senate bill (S. 2292) to require a report on acts 
of anti-Semitism around the world, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 2292

       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

[[Page H9028]]

     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 ``Protocols of 
     the Learned 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. REPORTS.

       (a) One-Time Report.--Not later than November 15, 2004, 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.
       (b) Information Required in Annual Department of State 
     Reports.--The Secretary of State shall include the 
     information required under subsection (a) in the annual 
     reports of the Department of State known as the Annual Report 
     on International Religious Freedom and the Annual Human 
     Rights Report.

               Amendment Offered by Mr. Smith of Michigan

  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Smith of Michigan:
       Page 2, line 7, after ``During'' insert the following: 
     ``the last 3 months of 2003 and''.
       Page 2, after line 9, insert the following new 
     subparagraphs:
       (A) In Putrajaya, Malaysia, on October 16, 2003, former 
     Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad told the 57 national leaders 
     assembled for the Organization of the Islamic Conference that 
     Jews ``rule the world by proxy'', and called for a ``final 
     victory'' by the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, who, he said, 
     ``cannot be defeated by a few million Jews.''.
       (B) In Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15, 2003, simultaneous 
     car bombs exploded outside two synagogues filled with 
     worshippers, killing 24 people and wounding more than 250 
     people.
       Page 2, line 10, redesignate subparagraph (A) as 
     subparagraph (C).
       Page 2, line 14, redesignate subparagraph (B) as 
     subparagraph (D).
       Page 2, line 19, redesignate subparagraph (C) as 
     subparagraph (E).
       Page 3, line 1, redesignate subparagraph (D) as 
     subparagraph (F).
       Page 3, beginning line 9, paragraph (4) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       (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 known 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.
       Page 4, beginning line 3, paragraph (7) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       (7) The OSCE convened a conference again on April 28-29, 
     2004, in Berlin, to address the problem of anti-Semitism with 
     the United States delegation led by former Mayor of New York 
     City, Ed Koch.
       Page 4, after line 20, insert the following new paragraph:
       (10) Anti-Semitism has at times taken the form of 
     vilification of Zionism, the Jewish national movement, and 
     incitement against Israel.
       Page 5, line 2, insert after ``OSCE'' the following: ``, 
     the European Union, and the United Nations''.
       Page 5, line 7, strike ``(a) One-time Report.--''.
       Page 5, line 11, insert ``one-time'' before ``report''.
       Page 5, line 22, strike ``and'' at the end.
       Page 5, line 24, strike the period at the end and insert 
     ``; and''.
       Page 5, after line 24, insert the following new paragraph:
       (5) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment 
     media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or 
     incite acts of violence against Jewish people.
       Page 6, beginning line 1, strike subsection (b) and insert 
     the following new sections:

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE TO MONITOR 
                   AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM.

       The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is 
     amended by adding after section 58 (22 U.S.C. 2730) the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 59. MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM.

       ``(a) Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.--
       ``(1) Establishment of office.--The Secretary shall 
     establish within the Department of State an Office to Monitor 
     and Combat anti-Semitism (in this section referred to as the 
     `Office') .
       ``(2) Head of office.--
       ``(A) Special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-
     semitism.--The head of the Office shall be the Special Envoy 
     for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism (in this section 
     referred to as the `Special Envoy').
       ``(B) Appointment of head of office.--The Secretary shall 
     appoint the Special Envoy. If the Secretary determines that 
     such is appropriate, the Secretary may appoint the Special 
     Envoy from among officers and employees of the Department. 
     The Secretary may allow such officer or employee to retain 
     the position (and the responsibilities associated with such 
     position) held by such officer or employee prior to the 
     appointment of such officer or employee to the position of 
     Special Envoy under this paragraph.
       ``(b) Purpose of Office.--Upon establishment, the Office 
     shall assume the primary responsibility for--
       ``(1) monitoring and combatting acts of anti-Semitism and 
     anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries;
       ``(2) coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that 
     portion of the report required by sections 116(d)(7) and 
     502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
     2151n(d)(7) and 2304(b)) relating to an assessment and 
     description of the nature and extent of acts of anti-Semitism 
     and anti-Semitic incitement for inclusion in the annual 
     Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; and
       ``(3) coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that 
     portion of the report required by section 102(b)(1)(A)(iv) of 
     the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
     6412(b)(1)(A)(iv)) relating to an assessment and description 
     of the nature and extent of acts of anti-Semitism and anti-
     Semitic incitement for inclusion in the Annual Report on 
     International Religious Freedom.
       ``(c) Consultations.--The Special Envoy shall consult with 
     domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and 
     multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special 
     Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this 
     section.''.

     SEC. 6. INCLUSION IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNUAL REPORTS OF 
                   INFORMATION CONCERNING ACTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN 
                   FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

       (a) Inclusion in Country Reports on Human Rights 
     Practices.--The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
     2151 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), and (10), as 
     paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(8) wherever applicable, a description of the nature and 
     extent of acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement 
     that occur

[[Page H9029]]

     during the preceding year, including descriptions of--
       ``(A) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of 
     Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of 
     Jewish community institutions, including schools, synagogues, 
     and cemeteries;
       ``(B) instances of propaganda in government and 
     nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial 
     hatred or incite acts of violence against Jewish people;
       ``(C) the actions, if any, taken by the government of the 
     country to respond to such violence and attacks or to 
     eliminate such propaganda or incitement;
       ``(D) the actions taken by such government to enact and 
     enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to 
     religious freedom of Jewish people; and
       ``(E) the efforts of such government to promote anti-bias 
     and tolerance education;''; and
       (2) after the fourth sentence of section 502B(b) (22 U.S.C. 
     2304(b)), by inserting the following new sentence: ``Wherever 
     applicable, a description of the nature and extent of acts of 
     anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur, 
     including the descriptions of such acts required under 
     section 116(d)(8).''.
       (b) Inclusion in Annual Report on International Religious 
     Freedom.--Section 102(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious 
     Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding after clause (iii) the following new clause:
       ``(iv) wherever applicable, an assessment and description 
     of the nature and extent of acts of anti-Semitism and anti-
     Semitic incitement that occur in that country during the 
     preceding year, including--

       ``(I) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, 
     Jewish people, acts of violence against, or vandalism of, 
     Jewish community institutions, and instances of propaganda in 
     government and nongovernment media that incite such acts; and
       ``(II) the actions taken by the government of that country 
     to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such 
     propaganda or incitement, to enact and enforce laws relating 
     to the protection of the right to religious freedom of Jewish 
     people, and to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.''.

       (c) Effective Date of Inclusions.--The amendments made by 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall apply beginning with the first 
     report under sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) and 
     section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
     1998 (22 U.S.C. 6312(b)) submitted more than 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask 
unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed 
in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that today 
our amended version of S. 2292, the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 
2004, is on the floor of the House for consideration. Senator Voinovich 
is to be commended for introducing and securing successful passage of 
S. 2292, as he is a tireless ally in our efforts to eradicate anti-
Semitism. In support of his efforts, I introduced the House version, 
H.R. 4214, in April.
  Realizing now is the time to act, Senator Voinovich, Congressman 
Lantos and myself have since discussed ways to further strengthen the 
Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. Working in concert, we amended the 
text to add mechanisms to improve and strengthen the ability of our 
government to combat the evil of anti-Semitism.
  The amended version, Mr. Speaker, maintains the State Department 
report on global anti-Semitism envisioned by Senator Voinovich. This 
report will set a benchmark as to the individual records of countries 
around the globe. The report, due for release no later than November 
15, 2004, will examine the number of acts of physical violence against 
Jews or vandalism of Jewish community institutions and government 
responses to such actions. In addition, the report will detail steps 
taken by governments to protect the religious freedoms of Jewish people 
and describe governmental efforts to promote anti-bias and tolerance 
education.
  Recognizing the role of media in encouraging anti-Semitic acts, the 
amended version also adds coverage of propaganda in government and 
nongovernment media that attempt to incite acts of violence against 
Jews. The importance of this issue was hammered home by James Tisch, 
Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish 
Organizations, at a Helsinki Commission hearing on governmental 
responses to anti-Semitism in the OSCE region. He said: ``[T]he Arab 
man in the street . . . doesn't stand a chance of being anything but 
[fiercely anti-Semitic], considering the barrage of hatred and venom 
about Jews to which he is constantly exposed. This river of lies flows 
from his leaders, his newspapers and his television set. The Arab media 
and the governments that sponsor and tolerate this flood of poison are 
to blame. This isn't about politics; it's about an ocean of hatred.''

  Mr. Speaker, we must push all governments to ensure their media are 
not adding fuel to the fire of anti-Semitism. By including coverage of 
domestic media, we make the one time global report on anti-Semitism 
more complete by exposing the source of an enormous amount of anti-
Semitic vitriol.
  The amended version of S. 2292 is stronger in other ways, foremost by 
mandating the creation of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-
Semitism in the State Department and creating the position of Special 
Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. A point person 
specifically tasked with focusing on anti-Semitism will increase our 
ability to respond quickly and effectively when incidents arise. In 
addition, the Special Envoy can be double-hatted with another position, 
thereby giving the Department flexibility in its appointment. The 
office will also be involved in the drafting of the appropriate 
sections of the human rights and religious freedom reports. Considering 
anti-Semitism plagues all regions of the world, this special office 
will ensure that the United States resolutely denounces acts of anti-
Semitism whenever and wherever they occur.
  Concerning State Department reports, our amended version of S. 2292 
will establish standards for the reporting on anti-Semitism when 
appropriate in the human rights and religious freedom reports. While 
our embassy staff labor tirelessly to ensure the human rights and 
religious freedom reports accurately cover the issue of anti-Semitism, 
I was concerned with the unevenness of reporting. The amendment will 
standardize coverage in the two reports, requiring the examination of: 
physical violence against Jews or vandalism of Jewish community 
institutions; propaganda in government and nongovernment media that 
attempt to incite acts of violence against Jews; governmental responses 
to violence or propaganda; governmental actions to enact and enforce 
laws relating to the protection of religious freedom of Jews; and 
governmental efforts to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.
  By setting forth criteria for the Department, it will aid our 
embassies in more thoroughly covering the issue of anti-Semitism and 
ensure it receives the attention it deserves.
  Again, I want to thank our leadership for making passage of this bill 
a priority. Their steadfast support, as well as the unwavering support 
from the Bush Administration, has greatly aided our efforts to fight 
anti-Semitism across the globe.
  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

                          ____________________