Indiana House unanimously passes bill defining anti-Semitism in education code

• The Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would define anti-Semitism as religious discrimination in state education law.
• The bill, known as House Bill 1002, also includes a provision to “provide educational opportunities free of religious discrimination.”
• HB 1002 has been met with staunch opposition from pro-Palestinian protesters and university students. This was considered one of the Indiana General Assembly's top priorities for this session.

The Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a bill that would define anti-Semitism as religious discrimination in state education law, putting it up for another vote in 2023 after a similar bill failed in the state Senate.

Supporters hope that the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza will spur renewed support for the bill in this Congress. State lawmakers across the country are expected to use the annual legislative session for a variety of symbolic and policy proposals centered around the war.

Indiana House Republicans listed the bill, House Bill 1002, as one of their five priorities for the 2024 legislative session. The bill, which primarily targets higher education, defines anti-Semitism as religious discrimination and “provides educational opportunities free of religious discrimination.”

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At committee hearings this month, lawmakers heard impassioned testimony from dozens of people, including Indiana high school, undergraduate and graduate students.

Supporters of the bill said they have been on campus since the Oct. 7 attack, when militants crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and capturing about 250. He said cases of anti-Semitism were on the rise.

Supporters of the bill say a working definition of anti-Semitism in state education law was needed long before October. Opponents of the bill fear it will be used to silence support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel.

Currently, the bill's text says that anti-Semitism “does not include criticism of Israel as directed against any other country.” Critics say the provisions are vague and do not adequately protect students, faculty and others critical of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, where more than 24,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7. He claims that there is no.

About 30 people gathered outside the House chamber on Thursday to protest the bill, and one protester was removed from the bleachers before the vote.

Yaqub Saadeh, 21, president of the Middle East Student Association at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said the bill would violate academic freedom and the ability to speak out against Israel.

“As a student, you shouldn't have to feel like you're going to be censored, attacked, or harassed,” he says.

The House unanimously passed a bill with the same language during the 2023 session. The 2024 bill now heads to the Senate, but it did not receive a committee hearing last year.

Republican House Speaker Todd Huston told reporters Thursday he was “thrilled” by the unanimous vote.

“I am satisfied with the House's actions and will defer to my colleagues in the Senate,” he said.

Senate Pro Tem Roderick Bray, a Republican, said his caucus would consider the bill if it passes the chamber.

“The world is changing little by little from last year,” he told reporters at a press conference on January 11.

In at least eight statehouses across the country, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, sometimes working together, have introduced measures defining anti-Semitism. Some of the measures were introduced after the October 7 attack. Other topics were also on the agenda before that. Arkansas passed such a law early last year, and one chamber of both the Georgia and South Carolina legislatures have passed similar bills.

Bills are also pending in at least Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and South Dakota.

Lawmakers also introduced a number of resolutions condemning the October 7 attack and supporting Israel. Some are pushing for bills that go further. For example, a measure underway in Florida would require students who “promote a foreign terrorist organization” to pay tuition at out-of-state public universities. New Jersey lawmakers are proposing compensation for state residents who left Israel after the attack.

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In Iowa, like other states, a resolution reaffirming support for Israel was passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The Republican-led bill condemns Hamas and says Israel “must resist any pressure to reach a ceasefire before the state of Israel is secure.”

State Rep. Sami Shaetz, a Syrian-Palestinian Arab American whose district includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said the resolution would not change the outcome of the conflict. Scheetz said a “bipartisan” Republican majority voted against the resolution, which was introduced without any consultation with Democrats.

“This is not justice that will lead to lasting peace,” Scheetz said, citing statistics that show more than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions more displaced. “Republicans in Congress supported partisanship and exclusion instead of peace, justice, and nonviolence for all.”

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Iowa passed a law in 2022 that would enshrine the definition of anti-Semitism in state law. Thursday's House resolution includes a call for law enforcement to “remain vigilant” when it comes to protecting Israeli-Americans.