With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed (388-21) legislation—H.Res. 1449—condemning the global rise of antisemitism and calling on countries and international bodies to counter antisemitic hate.

            “The spiritual cancer of antisemitism is metastasizing—not only in our own country but in many others as well—at a rate that is both shocking and sickening,” said Rep. Smith, the Co-Chair of the House Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.

             “The evidence of it is everywhere, including on our college and university campuses,” Smith said. “One of the most recent horrors, and there are many, was the Amsterdam pogrom—the horrific mob assault on Israeli soccer fans earlier this month.”

            Smith, the lead Republican sponsor of the resolution, said the legislation specifically points to the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism that promote the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism—which is widely acclaimed as the gold-standard for elected officials to define, understand and combat antisemitic hate.

            Smith said the Global Guidelines constitute a program of best practices that can be adopted by countries and organizations to formulate policies that boldly and effectively respond to antisemitism.

            “Silence is not an option here,” said Smith. “We need government officials at all levels to denounce, without hesitation or delay, antisemitic acts wherever and whenever they occur. No exceptions.”

            “When elected leaders fail to denounce antisemitic violence and slurs, the void is not only demoralizing to the victims but also enables the spread of this pernicious hatred,” Smith said.

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