[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 707 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 707
Condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and rejecting attempts to justify
anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of
disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or
elsewhere.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2014
Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Roskam, and Mrs. Lowey) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and rejecting attempts to justify
anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of
disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or
elsewhere.
Whereas there is clear evidence of increasing incidents and expressions of anti-
Semitism throughout the world;
Whereas the United States Department of State released this week the
International Religious Freedom Report for 2013 and noted in the
Executive Summary, ``Throughout Europe, the historical stain of anti-
Semitism continued to be a fact of life on Internet fora, in soccer
stadiums, and through Nazi-like salutes, leading many individuals who
are Jewish to conceal their religious identity.'';
Whereas anti-Semitic acts committed and recorded in 2014 around the world,
including countries in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and North
America, include incidents of murder at Jewish sites, violent attacks
and death threats against Jews, as well as gun violence, arson,
graffiti, anti-Semitic cartoons, and other property desecration at
Jewish places of worship and communal activity;
Whereas a survey by the Anti-Defamation League of attitudes towards Jews in more
than 100 countries around the world, released in May 2014 found that
over a quarter of the people surveyed (26 percent) hold anti-Semitic
views, a stunning indicator of the stubborn resilience of anti-Semitic
beliefs, even in countries where no Jews reside;
Whereas anti-Semitic attitudes in the Middle East and North Africa (74 percent)
far surpass those in any other region;
Whereas the finding that 70 percent of those around the world who harbor anti-
Semitic attitudes have never met a Jew shows how deeply embedded
stereotypes of Jews that developed over centuries are in the
consciousness of many countries and societies;
Whereas the Anti-Defamation League survey also found that a majority of people
surveyed overall have either not heard of the Holocaust or do not
believe it happened as has been documented by factual accounts and
recorded by history;
Whereas this month Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban erected a monument
commemorating the Nazi Occupation of Hungary that white washes the
Hungarian government's role in deporting over 400,000 Jews, most of whom
died in Auschwitz;
Whereas President Barack Obama said in his remarks at the USC Shoah Foundation
Dinner on May 7, 2014, ``. . . if the memories of the Shoah survivors
teach us anything, it is that silence is evil's greatest co-conspirator.
And it's up to us--each of us, every one of us--to forcefully condemn
any denial of the Holocaust. It's up to us to combat not only anti-
Semitism, but racism and bigotry and intolerance in all their forms,
here and around the world. It's up to us to speak out against rhetoric
that threatens the existence of a Jewish homeland and to sustain
America's unshakeable commitment to Israel's security'';
Whereas in 2004, Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act, which
established an Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, headed by a
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism;
Whereas the United States Government has consistently supported efforts to
address the rise in anti-Semitism through its bilateral relationships
and through engagement in international organizations such as the United
Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE), and the Organization of American States (OAS);
Whereas during Israel's July 2014 Operation Protective Edge aiming to stem the
rocket fire and terrorist infiltrations by Hamas, Jews and Jewish
institutions and property have been attacked in Europe and elsewhere,
including attempts to invade a synagogue in Paris, fire-bombings of
synagogues in France and Germany, assaults on Jewish individuals, and
swastikas spray-painted in a heavily Jewish area of London and also in
Rome's historic Jewish quarter;
Whereas anti-Semitic imagery and comparisons of Jews and Israel to Nazis have
been on display at demonstrations against Israel's actions in Gaza
around the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America,
including--
(1) placards held at many demonstrations across the globe comparing
Israeli leaders to Nazis, accusing Israel of carrying out a ``Holocaust''
against Palestinians, and equating the Jewish Star of David with the Nazi
swastika, and
(2) demonstrations that have included chants of ``Death to Jews'',
``Death to Israel'', or expressions of support for suicide terrorism
against Israeli or Jewish civilians;
Whereas Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's continued anti-Israel
incitement, including stating that Israel's defense against Hamas rocket
fire is ``barbarism that surpasses Hitler'', sparks unwarranted anger
towards Jews and endangers the Turkish Jewish community and Jews around
the world;
Whereas the Governments in France, Germany, and Italy, the three countries where
the majority of incidents have occurred, have strongly condemned anti-
Semitism as unacceptable in European society, including French President
Hollande and Prime Minister Valls, German Chancellor Merkel, and the
foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy collectively, have all
made clear statements that such attacks on their Jewish communities are
intolerable, and they have matched those words with strong law
enforcement;
Whereas some civil society leaders have set strong examples, including the
condemnation by the Union of Mosques of France, on behalf of their 500
mosques, called the attacks ``morally unjust and unacceptable'', and
stated, ``nothing can justify any act that could harm our Jewish
compatriots, their institutions or their places of worship'' and, in
Germany, the largest circulation paper, Bild, featured statements
against anti-Semitism from politicians, business leaders, civic leaders,
media personalities and celebrities with ``Never Again Jew Hatred'' on
the front page; and
Whereas Congress supports freedom of expression and the right to criticize any
government or its policy and has played an essential role in shining a
spotlight on the resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) unequivocally condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and
rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred or violent
attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval or
frustration over political events in the Middle East or
elsewhere;
(2) decries and condemns the comparison of Israel to Nazis
perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide as an insult to the memory
of those who perished in the Holocaust and an affront to those
who survived and their children and grandchildren, the
righteous gentiles who saved Jewish lives at peril to their own
lives and to those who bravely fought to defeat the Nazis;
(3) applauds those foreign leaders, especially in France,
Italy, and Germany, who have condemned anti-Semitic acts and
calls on those who have yet to take firm action against anti-
Semitism in their countries, to do so;
(4) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the United
States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism;
(5) pledges to support and expand Holocaust educational
programs at home and abroad to increase awareness, counter
prejudice, and enhance efforts to teach the universal lessons
of the Holocaust; and
(6) urges the Secretary of State to--
(A) maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a
United States foreign policy priority and to convey
United States concern in bilateral meetings;
(B) ensure that the instruments of United States
public diplomacy including President Barack Obama's
emissary to the Organization of the Islamic Conference
pursue ways to address the issue of anti-Semitism where
data show it is needed most;
(C) ensure high-level United States participation
in the 2014 Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe high level event marking the 10th anniversary
of the 2004 OSCE Berlin Declaration against anti-
Semitism;
(D) urge governments to ensure that adequate laws
are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence and hate
crimes as well as establish mechanisms to monitor,
investigate and punish perpetrators;
(E) continue robust United States reporting on
anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom
issue by the Department of State and the Special Envoy
to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism;
(F) provide necessary training and instruction for
personnel posted in United States embassies and
missions to analyze and report on anti-Semitic
incidents as well as the response of governments to
those incidents and to hate crimes in general;
(G) ensure that United States efforts to train law
enforcement personnel and prosecutors abroad
incorporate tools to address anti-Semitism and other
bias motivated incidents;
(H) deepen engagement with the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe and support its
specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-
Semitism, including through support for its law
enforcement and civil society training programs; and
(I) redouble his commitment to oppose all efforts
to prevent any individual from freely exercising their
religion without fear of prosecution or violence.
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