For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, H.Res. 894 passed the House, which conflates Anti-Zionism with antisemitism and directly attacks free speech. 

“Today, I voted no on H.Res. 894, as it fuels division and violence, conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, and ignores one of the greatest threats to the Jewish community, white nationalism,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (NY-16). “I strongly condemn antisemitism and hate in all of its forms, and firmly believe that we must work together to address the root causes so that we can make strides towards peace. That’s why I introduced and passed a resolution condemning the antisemitic conspiracy theory, the Great Replacement Theory. If protecting the Jewish community and addressing the root causes of antisemitism were the goal of H.Res. 894, then the Republicans supporting this bill would have voted for my resolution condemning the antisemitic conspiracy theory, the Great Replacement Theory–but they didn’t. It is vital to peace, the protection of basic human rights, and the safety of our communities that we do not conflate legitimate and necessary criticisms of the Israeli government with antisemitism. This silence and the implication that criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic only contributes to the ongoing erasure and marginalization of Palestinians and the rise in anti-Palestinian sentiments. Given the scale of violence and hatred occuring at this moment, we must come together in solidarity within and among our communities, and to refuse to pit threatened communities against one another. We have a moral responsibility to govern in a way that centers those most impacted and nurtures humanity instead of succumbing to more warmongering and violence.

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