Why I’m Pushing Congress to Address Antisemitism

On October 7, 2023, on one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar, the world witnessed the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. More than 1,200 innocent Israeli men, women, and children were brutally murdered, and more than 250 were abducted by Hamas terrorists. Days after this horrific attack, I traveled to Israel as a part of a bipartisan Senate delegation to stand in solidarity with our ally in its darkest hour. The horror stories we heard, the heartbreaking conversations we had with the families of hostages, and the videos of the massacre that we witnessed will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I returned to the United States more determined than ever to work across the aisle to get Israel all the support it needed to rescue the hostages and defend itself from Hamas.

 I came back with the expectation and hope that every American would be united in support of our ally. Unfortunately—and disgustingly—instead of rallying behind one of our closest allies in their darkest days, too many people on the fringes turned to antisemitic attacks on Jewish people. And let’s be clear, targeting Jewish Americans because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is blatant and clear antisemitism. These acts led to skyrocketing antisemitism in the United States and around the world after October 7, 2023.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there was a 140 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023 alone. These statistics confirm what we have seen to be true. We’ve seen swastikas and antisemitic threats spray-painted in cities across our nation, including in my home state of Nevada. We’ve seen slogans and chants made to intimidate Jewish people. And we’ve seen Jewish students harassed and threatened on college campuses, even being prevented from going to class because they are Jewish.

As the only Jewish woman currently serving in the U.S. Senate, I’ve made it a top priority to ensure we take meaningful, immediate, bipartisan action to address the concerning surge in antisemitism. That’s why five years ago, on the first anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, I co-founded the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism with Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), and, as its co-chair, I’ve made it my mission to work across party lines to end anti-Jewish hate and bigotry.

Ever since, we’ve led our colleagues in the Senate on efforts to combat this type of discrimination, including by successfully pushing the administration to create the first-ever national strategy for combating antisemitism, confirming the first-ever ambassador-level special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism to take on antisemitism around the world, and passing bipartisan Holocaust education legislation into law.

Earlier this year, I introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Countering Antisemitism Act to take comprehensive action to strengthen efforts to combat antisemitism in America, including by establishing a first-ever national coordinator to counter antisemitism and establishing an Interagency Task Force to Counter Antisemitism. In fact, the American Bar Association has submitted a letter of support for the Countering Antisemitism Act. With growing support in both chambers of Congress and from organizations across the political spectrum, I look forward to getting this historic step to address the antisemitism crisis signed into law.

We’ve also taken direct action to address rising antisemitism on college campuses. We successfully pushed the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidance to schools and colleges, reminding them of their legal responsibility to protect students from discrimination, including antisemitism, and warning of potential consequences for not meeting this obligation. But there’s more work to do. That’s why I’m also pushing the Department of Education to designate a senior official to oversee efforts to address antisemitism at universities, undertake a comprehensive review of college and university harassment policies and codes of conduct to ensure they account for antisemitic discrimination, and swiftly resolve pending investigations relating to campus antisemitism.

Let me be clear: I won’t stop fighting until we eliminate this hatred and bigotry from our communities. We must keep working to create a world where no student should have to hide in their room because of the violent, antisemitic threats they face walking on campus; no parent or guardian should have to worry about their children’s safety when they send them to school; no synagogue should have to face threats of violence; and no one is targeted for their religion or ethnicity. It will take continued bipartisan action to get us there. And I won’t stop fighting until we do.

Please note: The views expressed herein have not been approved by the House of Delegates, the Board of Governors, the Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice or the Human Rights Editorial Board of the American Bar Association and, accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association. They are the views of the individual authors themselves in their personal capacities.