[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 199 (Monday, December 4, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6106-H6108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





STRONGLY CONDEMNING AND DENOUNCING THE DRASTIC RISE OF ANTISEMITISM IN 
                 THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 894) strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic 
rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 894

       Whereas acts of hate, intimidation, discrimination, and 
     violence based on ethnicity or religion have no place in our 
     country nor in the global community;
       Whereas the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's 
     working definition of antisemitism is widely accepted and 
     serves as a critical tool to help individuals comprehend and 
     identify the various manifestations of antisemitism;
       Whereas, since the massacre of innocent Israelis by Hamas, 
     an Iran-backed terrorist organization, on October 7, 2023, 
     antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault 
     in the United States have spiked 388 percent over the same 
     period last year, according to reports from the Anti-
     Defamation League's (ADL) Center on Extremism;
       Whereas drastic increases in antisemitic activity has also 
     been seen in Jewish communities around the world since the 
     October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks;
       Whereas the slogan ``From the River to the Sea'', which is 
     a rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and 
     the Jewish people, has been used by anti-Israel protesters in 
     the United States and globally;
       Whereas, on October 8, 2023, a car with individuals holding 
     Palestinian flags appeared to intentionally swerve out of its 
     lane, nearly hitting a visibly Jewish family in Clifton, New 
     Jersey;
       Whereas, on October 15, 2023, an individual in New York, 
     New York, punched a Jewish woman in the face at Grand Central 
     Terminal solely because she was Jewish;
       Whereas, on October 28, 2023, a Jewish man in Sydney, 
     Australia, was severely injured by 3 anti-Israel rioters, in 
     which he was punched in the head at least 12 times, suffered 
     a concussion, 2 black eyes, and 4 spinal fractures;
       Whereas, on November 3, 2023, a Jewish woman's store in New 
     York City was attacked by a mob of anti-Israel protesters all 
     because she hung posters of Israeli hostages in the store 
     window;
       Whereas, on November 3, 2023, 4 masked men walked into a 
     restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and proceeded to 
     tear down an Israeli flag and yelled ``Free Palestine'';
       Whereas, on November 4, 2023, an Arizona man was arrested 
     by Federal authorities for threatening to execute a local 
     Rabbi and ``every other JEW I can find tonight at midnight of 
     your Sabbath'';
       Whereas, on November 4, 2023, during an anti-Israel protest 
     in Washington, DC, rioters shouted their support for Hamas 
     massacre on October 7, 2023, and other acts of terror 
     targeting Israel, called for the end of the State of Israel, 
     and spewed hateful and vile language amplifying antisemitic 
     themes;
       Whereas, during that same protest in Washington, DC, 
     rioters stormed and tried to scale the White House fence, 
     vandalized property by staining blood-red handprints onto the 
     side of the White House pillars, and spray painted ``Death to 
     Israel'' and ``Glory to our Martyrs'' on buildings in DC;
       Whereas, on November 6, 2023, Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old 
     Jewish man, tragically died due to injuries sustained when an 
     anti-Israel protester struck him in the head with a megaphone 
     in Los Angeles, California;
       Whereas, on November 11, 2023, as part of a massive anti-
     Israel protest, rioters set off smokebombs in front of a 
     synagogue in London, England;
       Whereas, on November 12, 2023, police found several 
     headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, a Jewish 
     cemetery in Brooklyn, Ohio, were desecrated with swastikas;
       Whereas, on November 13, 2023, a mezuzah was torn off the 
     doorpost of a Jewish person's apartment and a knife was stuck 
     into the wood in its place in Milan, Italy;
       Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the evening before the March 
     for Israel in Washington, DC, anti-Israel rioters vandalized 
     a Jewish medical tent by spray painting ``Free Gaza'', 
     ``Palestine Will Be Free'', and ``Gaza Will Win''; and
       Whereas, on November 15, 2023, anti-Israel protesters 
     illegally blocked and violently attacked the Democratic 
     National Committee headquarters, endangering the lives of 
     individuals inside, including Members of Congress, and 
     injuring 6 Capitol Police Officers; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) strongly condemns and denounces all instances of 
     antisemitism occurring in the United States and globally;
       (2) reaffirms and reiterates its strong support for the 
     Jewish community at home and abroad;
       (3) calls on elected officials and world leaders to condemn 
     and fight all forms of domestic and global antisemitism;
       (4) clearly and firmly states that anti-Zionism is 
     antisemitism; and
       (5) rejects all forms of terror, hate, discrimination, and 
     harassment of members of the Jewish community.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Kiley) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material on H. Res. 894.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against 
Israel, anti-Semitism has surged in the United States and around the 
world.
  Reports show that there was a nearly 400 percent increase in anti-
Semitic incidents in the weeks after the attack. These incidents 
include harassment, vandalism, and assault. Americans have been 
punched, beaten, and forced to flee for their lives from swerving cars 
simply because they are Jewish.

                              {time}  1715

  A Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn, Ohio, was vandalized with swastikas.
  On college campuses, Jewish students have been subjected to 
harassment, threats, and forced to hide from violent protests.
  In a recent survey, 73 percent of Jewish college students said they 
had experienced or witnessed some form of anti-Semitism this academic 
year.
  In the same survey, just 39 percent of Jewish students said they felt 
comfortable with their peers knowing they were Jewish.
  Less than half of Jewish students surveyed said that they felt safe 
on campus.
  At a hearing before our committee last month, a college student 
testified that she now thinks twice before wearing any sign of her 
Jewish faith. This was a young woman who is maybe 20 years old. She had 
the courage to come and testify before Congress, but she can't safely 
wear something that would suggest to her fellow students and her 
teachers that she is Jewish.
  She testified that her family and friends who live in Israel--people 
who are under nearly constant rocket attack from Hamas--and others 
check in with her every day to see if she is safe. They are in a war 
zone. She is in the United States, and they are checking to make sure 
that she is safe.
  These incidents are absolutely horrifying, Mr. Speaker. They are 
unacceptable in the United States and in any civilized society. Members 
of the Jewish community should not have to hide their faith in order to 
safely go about their lives or receive an education.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC, November 30, 2023.
     Hon. Jim Jordan,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee, which agrees to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H. Res. 894 (Strongly condemning and 
     denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United 
     States and around the world), so that the measure may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House floor.
       I ask that you place our letters on this resolution into 
     the Congressional Record during floor consideration. I 
     appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and 
     look forward to continuing to work together as this measure 
     moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                 Washington, DC, December 1, 2023.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H. Res. 894, Strongly

[[Page H6107]]

     condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in 
     the United States and around the world, so that the measure 
     may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future.
       I will include the exchange of these letters in the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of this 
     measure. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this 
     legislation and look forward to continuing to work together 
     on matters of shared jurisdiction during this Congress. Thank 
     you for your attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Jim Jordan,
                                                         Chairman.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of any and all serious and meaningful 
efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
  The explosion of anti-Semitism around the world, on college campuses, 
and online is so shocking that it was the subject of nearly every 
Jewish household's Thanksgiving meal a week ago.
  The Jewish community is absolutely right to consider this terrifying 
situation a five-alarm fire, as Senator Schumer so appropriately put it 
in his moving speech to the Nation just a few days ago.
  Unfortunately, this resolution does absolutely nothing to genuinely 
counter the scourge of anti-Semitism, nor does it help bring us 
together with the unity of purpose that this topic merits. Rather, it 
is another attempt in a long series of veiled efforts by the GOP to 
weaponize Jewish lives for political gains. It is another partisan 
gotcha game that amounts to cheap value signaling, not serious action. 
If there ever was a time for real action, it is now.
  Today, in the face of the largest increase in anti-Semitism, both 
violent and virulent, in this Nation's history, we have a clear choice. 
We can abuse this moment to try to inflict interparty political damage 
or we can rise to the occasion and do something real and powerful to 
actually help the Jewish community.
  Just in the last few weeks, we have seen disgusting displays of 
outright anti-Semitism. Over the weekend, protesters in Philadelphia 
targeted a Jewish business. It is plainly and unequivocally anti-
Semitic to hold Jews collectively responsible for Israel's actions.
  In my district, vile, anti-Semitic graffiti has been scrawled on 
apartment buildings in the Upper East Side. On the Upper West Side, two 
Jewish women were assaulted after calling out individuals who were 
despicably tearing down posters of Israeli hostages.
  Last week in Brooklyn, three attackers violently attacked a 15-year-
old Jewish boy, yelling, ``Free Palestine'' as they punched and kicked 
the stranger.
  This anti-Semitic hate is happening across the country. The Oakland 
City Council rejected a bid to denounce Hamas, as speaker after speaker 
espoused dangerously misguided and factually erroneous views at a 
deeply troubling anti-Semitic public hearing.
  Since the Israel-Hamas war began, the GOP has seemed gleeful at their 
partisan wedging at the expense of the Jewish community, and they have 
utterly failed to do anything serious to address this crisis. If they 
object to my charges, let me ask them here today three key questions:
  First, what have my friends on the other side of the aisle--the only 
ones who actually control the agenda on the floor--done to implement 
the White House's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism? This 
historic whole-of-government plan, which has bipartisan support, has 
been completely ignored in this dysfunctional MAGA-extremist Congress. 
The answer is clear: They have done nothing.
  Second, when will the GOP majority stop its efforts to defund the 
Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, the office that must 
protect Jewish students from the horrendous discrimination they face on 
campus today? In order to enforce title VI, the law that prevents such 
discrimination in education, the Department needs the resources to put 
legal and investigatory boots on the ground. The answer: The majority 
still supports defunding this office, and that means Jewish students 
will remain at terrible risk.
  Third, what will the GOP do to ensure that the high-risk Nonprofit 
Security Grant Program run through the Department of Homeland Security 
has a meaningful increase in funding? This program keeps our synagogues 
and Hebrew schools safe across the country. The answer: House 
Republicans have done absolutely nothing to shore up this program.
  I demand that we take real action. Representatives Goldman, Raskin, 
and I today introduced a resolution which would commit ourselves to the 
full implementation of the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. I 
implore my Republican colleagues to join it. Join us and take concrete 
action.
  I call on them to actually protect Jewish lives by a dramatic 
increase in funding for the Department of Education's Office of Civil 
Rights and the high-risk Nonprofit Security Grant Program. That is what 
taking meaningful action would look like.
  Mr. Speaker, by bringing this resolution to the floor without a 
single Democratic cosponsor, which is extremely unusual, and by rushing 
it to a vote without careful and considerate collaboration, my 
Republican friends have shown us who they are and precisely what are 
their intentions.
  In my three decades in Congress, I have voted on numerous bills and 
resolutions addressing anti-Semitism, including my own. I have never 
seen an anti-Semitism-focused vehicle come to the floor without the 
cosponsorship of a single member of the minority party.
  The House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism doesn't 
support such partisan gamesmanship, nor does the Anti-Defamation 
League, nor does the American Jewish Committee. With this resolution, 
the GOP has shown themselves fundamentally unserious about combating 
anti-Semitism. Of course, none of us should be surprised.
  If our friends on the other side of the aisle were serious about 
combating anti-Semitism, they would have spoken up when former 
President Trump called the Nazis in Charlottesville very fine people. 
They would have condemned the former President when he dined with known 
Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Chairman Jordan would have thought 
better before tweeting out ``Kanye, Elon, Trump,'' sending out dog 
whistles to their white supremacist, anti-Semitic base.
  They also would have chosen their recent witnesses more carefully. 
Chairman Jordan chose to give a platform to Robert Kennedy, Jr., just 
days after he trafficked in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories suggesting 
Jews were responsible for COVID.
  I cannot help but note that although this resolution strongly 
condemns and denounces anti-Semitism, its authors carefully avoided 
mentioning any of the obvious instances of anti-Semitism coming from 
their own leaders.
  The resolution is flawed in other ways, as well. For example, the 
resolution implicitly compares some peaceful protesters with the 
January 6 rioters and insurrectionists. I suppose they have their 
reasons for that.
  More problematically, the resolution suggests that all anti-Zionism--
it states that all anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. That is either 
intellectually disingenuous or just factually wrong. It unfairly 
implicates many of my orthodox former constituents in Brooklyn, many of 
whose families rose from the ashes of the Holocaust.
  While most anti-Zionism is indeed anti-Semitic, the authors, if they 
were at all familiar with Jewish history and culture, should know about 
Jewish anti-Zionism that was and is expressly not anti-Semitic. This 
resolution ignores the fact that even today certain orthodox Hasidic 
Jewish communities--the Satmars in New York and others--as well as 
adherents of the prestate Jewish labor movement have held views that 
are at odds with the modern Zionist conception.
  According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, ``the anti-Zionist world-view 
of the ultra-Orthodox groups . . . '' like the ``Satmar Hasidism 
perceives Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel as an 
anti-messianic act . . . '' That is to say that these ultra-orthodox 
Hasidic Jews believe that only the Messiah can bring about the true 
Israel, and I assure you the Satmar Hasidic Jews are certainly not 
anti-Semitic.

[[Page H6108]]

  I should also note that there are those who try to smear even 
progressive pro-Israel supporters with the inappropriate label of 
``Israel hater'' or ``anti-Zionist.'' Under this resolution, those who 
love Israel deeply but criticize some of its policy approaches could be 
considered anti-Zionist. That could make every Democratic Jewish Member 
of this body--because they all criticized the recent Israeli judicial 
reform package--de facto anti-Semites. Might that be the authors' 
intention?
  Again, let me be unequivocally clear, most anti-Zionism, particularly 
in this moment, has a real anti-Semitism problem, but we cannot fairly 
say that one equals the other.
  As the most senior Jewish Member in this House, with perhaps the 
largest Jewish constituency in this country, I have always and will 
always support real, meaningful legislation to combat anti-Semitism. 
This, of course, is deeply personal for me and for so many of my 
constituents. Indeed, I take a back seat to no one in this body when it 
comes to fighting against this scourge.
  In the aftermath of October 7, we have a moral obligation to act to 
protect our own Jewish citizens and our critical ally Israel. I pray 
that the GOP majority makes today the day that they stop playing these 
partisan games and commit themselves to doing the real work to protect 
Jewish lives. There is not a single minute to spare.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I say briefly that I very much do applaud the gentleman from New 
York, who I think has shown tremendous leadership in many ways in 
standing up for Israel and fighting against anti-Semitism in this 
country.
  I think one of the valuable things that we have seen over the last 
several weeks is that we have had bipartisan support on both counts. I 
actually sponsored a separate resolution dealing specifically with the 
problem of anti-Semitism on college campuses, and that got overwhelming 
bipartisan support on this floor. I think it had only about 21 ``no'' 
votes. That has been very encouraging.
  With respect to the three charges that were mentioned, number one, 
there is legislation in the House right now to codify the President's 
executive order, on which I think it is important that we move forward.
  Number two, far from saying we shouldn't have an Office of Civil 
Rights within the Department of Education, Representative Burgess Owens 
and I wrote a letter to the head of the Office of Civil Rights in the 
Department of Education telling them they need to be doing more, they 
need to be more proactive in looking into anti-Semitic incidents at our 
universities, and we would certainly welcome their support on that 
letter.
  Number three, as far as the protection for synagogues and other 
facilities, I would be very interested in partnering with you on any 
such efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff).
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
that strongly condemns the dramatic rise of anti-Semitism both here in 
our Nation and abroad.
  Last week, I had the privilege and the honor, frankly, of speaking 
with Amir Ohana, who is the Speaker of the Knesset. We discussed a lot 
of things. We talked about how life has changed not only in Israel but 
around the world since Hamas' horrific and brutal terrorist attack 
against Israelis on October 7. We also talked about how we have seen an 
absolute explosion of anti-Semitic incidents, attacks, and harassment 
in Israel, here in our own Nation, and across the world.
  Mr. Speaker, two interesting statistics, if I can: According to the 
Anti-Defamation League, since the Hamas massacre on October 7, anti-
Semitic incidents around our Nation have increased over 400 percent 
compared to the same time period last year.

                              {time}  1730

  The second statistic, Mr. Speaker, more Jews were murdered on October 
7 than on any other single day since the Holocaust. Let that sink in.
  We have seen Members of this very body repeat blatantly anti-Semitic 
rhetoric and spread lies about Israel and her right to exist. Let me be 
absolutely clear: Such hate has no place in the Halls of Congress nor 
in our national discourse.
  It is our fundamental responsibility as leaders and as Members of 
Congress to condemn and fight these horrific acts of hate and 
discrimination against the Jewish community.
  That is why I am proud to work with my colleague, Congressman Max 
Miller, to introduce this critical resolution to condemn and denounce 
all instances of domestic and global anti-Semitism.
  A few months ago, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity--really, the 
privilege--to take a group of people through the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  A lot of us have been there. It is not too far away from here in the 
Capitol where we are standing. That museum serves not only as a 
reminder of the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust, but it 
also serves as a stark reminder that we can never forget the horrors of 
the Holocaust and that we, as leaders, have an obligation and a duty to 
make sure that it never happens again.
  For these reasons, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to support this very simple, yet critical, resolution.
  It is absolutely important that we send a clear and firm message to 
the world that the United States House of Representatives stands 
shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community here in the United 
States and abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, as Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah very soon in 
the next few days, we should remember the words of Rabbi Lord Jonathan 
Sacks.
  He said: ``Hanukkah tells us not to curse the darkness, but instead 
to bring light to the world. It tells us to fight back and not be 
afraid.''
  We should truly heed those words. I thank my colleagues for 
supporting this resolution.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, we hear in this resolution about the opposition to anti-
Semitism. As I said before, I would be more impressed with the 
sincerity of that opposition if the Republican Party were not trying to 
defund the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, the 
office that enforces title VI to protect Jewish students on campus, and 
if the Republicans were not opposing an increase in funding for the 
Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights and for the high-risk, 
nonprofit security grant program that protects our synagogues and other 
Jewish institutions.
  Mr. Speaker, the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and 
across the world is a real and growing problem.
  I wish the majority would use its power to actually do something 
about it instead of playing partisan political games.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 894.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________