Americans Oppose the "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act"Appraised of concerns raised by free speech and human rights organizations, recently polled Americans strongly opposed a bill aimed at quelling academic movements critical of Israel. Civil liberties groups oppose an Israel lobby bill barring federal funds to universities that permit protest focused solely on Israel, by defining it as anti-Semitism.
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on November 7 to discuss the "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act." Proponents of ASAA claim it is a law that would protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment, which they claim is a major problem on campus. Opponents argue the bill would undermine free speech rights, and is a thinly-disguised gag order designed to quash criticism of Israel in academia. The penalties that would be levied on institutes of higher learning failing to crack down would include a cutoff of federal funding to those found in violation of newly expanded Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 anti-discrimination mandates. Lawsuits accusing colleges and universities of discrimination, such as one recently dismissed against San Francisco State University, would likely succeed under such an expanded definition of anti-Semitism.
Survey developed by:
IRmep, with special thanks to Jeffrey Blankfort In the News:
Poll: Americans
oppose the anti-Semitism Awareness Act: Americans wouldn't
cut funding to universities critical of Israel
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