Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday signed a bill defining anti-Semitism in state law and providing aid to Jewish residents despite concerns that the bill would hinder those who oppose Israel’s actions. declared.
The Republican governor said that by enacting this legislation, “we reaffirm our commitment to a Georgia where all people can live, learn, and thrive safely because there is no place for hate in our great state.” said.
Kemp likened the situation to when he signed a bill in 2020 that allows for additional penalties for crimes motivated by the victim’s race, religion, sexual orientation or other factors. The hate crimes law was prompted by the pursuit and shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was running near Brunswick, Georgia.
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Measures to define anti-Semitism stalled in 2023, but were pushed forward with new urgency this year amid reports of the Israel-Hamas war and a spike in anti-Semitic incidents in Georgia. . Sponsors argue that adopting the 2016 definition proposed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance will help prosecutors and other officials identify hate crimes and unlawful discrimination targeting Jews. ing. That could lead to increased penalties under the 2020 Hate Crimes Act.
This definition, which is only mentioned in the bill, defines anti-Semitism as “a particular perception of Jews, sometimes expressed as hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism’s rhetorical and physical expressions directed at Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their Jews.” Directing property rights to Jewish community and religious facilities. ”
Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp attends an event hosted by radio host Erick Erickson on August 18, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. On January 31, 2024, Governor Kemp signed a bill defining anti-Semitism in state law. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Kenneth Stern, the author of the IHRA definition, told The Associated Press that using such language in the law is a no-brainer because more and more Jews are taking anti-Zionist positions in opposition to Israeli actions. He said there was a problem.
Additionally, lawmakers in more than six U.S. states are pushing legislation to define anti-Semitism.
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Opponents of the Georgia law equated criticism of Israel with hatred of Jews and warned that the law would be used to censor free speech rights. A coalition of groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and CAIR, issued a joint statement saying Georgia’s bill “falsely equates criticism of Israel and Zionism with discrimination against Jews.”
But supporters say the definition only applies after someone commits a crime. One of the bill’s sponsors, state Rep. John Carson, a Marietta Republican, said he believed the bill would be challenged in court the first time it was applied, but that it would be upheld. He said he expected it.
“I’m very confident that we will rise to this situation, just like other states,” Carson said.
