[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.
____________________