[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15215-15216]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF ANTI-SEMITISM

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (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, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 707

       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.


[[Page 15216]]

                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Royce

  Mr. ROYCE. I have an amendment at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas there is clear evidence of increasing incidents and 
     expressions of anti-Semitism throughout the world;
       Whereas on April 30, 2014, the United States Department of 
     State released the International Religious Freedom Report for 
     2013 and noted that, ``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 
     cemeteries, 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), and nearly three quarters of those 
     surveyed in the Middle East (74 percent) hold anti-Semitic 
     views, a stunning indicator of the stubborn resilience of 
     anti-Semitic beliefs, even in countries where few Jews 
     reside;
       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 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 in recent decades there has been a clear and 
     troubling pattern of increased violence against Jewish 
     persons and their property, purportedly in connection with 
     increased opposition to policies enacted by the Government of 
     Israel;
       Whereas during Israel's 2014 Operation Protective Edge 
     aiming to stem the rocket fire and terrorist infiltrations by 
     Hamas, Jews and Jewish institutions and property were 
     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 throughout the United 
     States, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, 
     including--
       (1) placards 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 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 and 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'';
       Whereas the largest newspaper in circulation in Germany, 
     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 has played an essential role in 
     illustrating and counteracting the resurgence of anti-
     Semitism worldwide: Now, therefore, be it

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, was agreed to.


             Amendment to the Preamble Offered by Mr. Royce

  Mr. ROYCE. I have an amendment to the preamble at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

     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 
     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 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 as 
     part of the broader policy priority of fostering 
     international religious freedom;
       (5) supports expanded Holocaust educational programs that 
     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 combating anti-Semitism as a United States 
     foreign policy priority;
       (B) ensure that the instruments of United States public 
     diplomacy, including the United States Representative to the 
     Organization of Islamic Conference, are utilized to 
     effectively combat anti-Semitism;
       (C) ensure high-level United States participation in the 
     2014 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
     (OSCE) 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 against persons and 
     property;
       (E) continue robust United States reporting on anti-
     Semitism 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 violence against persons 
     and property as well as the response of governments to those 
     incidents;
       (G) ensure that United States Government efforts to train 
     law enforcement personnel and prosecutors abroad incorporate 
     tools to address anti-Semitic violence against persons and 
     property; and
       (H) strongly support the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe's specialized efforts to monitor and 
     address anti-Semitism, including through support for its law 
     enforcement and civil society training programs.

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________