N.C. Legislators unite to adopt definition of antisemitism: ‘We must take a stand’ | Eastern North Carolina Now

By Peyton Majors
Christian Action League
May 10, 2024

A bipartisan coalition of North Carolina legislators adopted a new definition of antisemitism this week that supporters said is necessary to combat a wave of hatred against Jewish people that has spread across the nation and the Tar Heel State.

By a vote of 105-4, North Carolina’s House of Representatives adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s 2016 definition of antisemitism and said it was to be used for “training, education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents in this State,” according to the bill’s language.

It now goes to the North Carolina Senate.

“We must take a stand against antisemitism in a bipartisan, bicameral, unified voice,” said House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican.

Democratic Rep. Abe Jones supported the bill.

“If there is a chance that our body can say anything about any form of racism, that’s a good thing,” Jones said. “… I see in this action by this assembly a positive because we’re speaking out against one form of racism toward a group of people.”

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism is the following:

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Moore emphasized that the bill does not add any criminal penalties to current law. In fact, the North Carolina bill explicitly states that its text “shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Constitution of North Carolina.”

One of the bill’s purposes, Moore said, is that the definition may help prosecutors or judges who are dealing with hate crimes.

“We’ve seen in recent weeks, just ridiculous conduct by some [people] engaging in hate speech, engaging in physical assaults, engaging in vandalism [and] other criminal acts — simply targeting Jewish folks because of their faith, targeting Americans who happen to be Jewish,” Moore said. “… While we need to strengthen the protections against ethnic intimidation in these acts, we also know we need to balance that with the First Amendment right to peacefully and lawfully protest.”

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism “has been adopted by various NGOs around the globe” and by a majority of U.S. states, Moore said.

The bill also said contemporary examples of antisemitism listed by the Alliance would be antisemitic in North Carolina. Among them:

— “Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.”

— “Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.”

— “Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.”

— “Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.”

— “Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.”

— “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

— “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.”

Moore mentioned the now-infamous moment in late April when a group of protesters on the University of North Carolina campus replaced the American flag with the Palestinian flag. Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts was spat upon and had water thrown at him, Moore said.

“That, my friends, is not what the First Amendment is designed to protect,” he said.

“We live in some times where we are seeing, on a daily basis, members of our community who are being systematically targeted, who are being systematically having acts of violence committed against them, who are having acts of vandalism, acts of intimidation against them because of their religion. That is wrong.”