By Emanuel Pastreich
Fear No Evil
May 4, 2024
Response to the "antisemitism awareness act of 2023"
What is happening on college campuses and what is being pushed through the Congress
The passage of the "Antisemitism Awareness Act" on May 1, the traditional day for celebrating the contributions of labor, by the House of Representatives, represents a dangerous effort to weaponize the laws and regulations established over the last 150 years to protect citizens against racial discrimination and to use them now to justify the absolute power of a corrupt government, doing the bidding of multinational banks and corporations, to punish anyone speaking out against the horrific actions taking place in Gaza. But the bill is not ultimately about Gaza, or about Israel. It is about giving the government the authority absent from the Constitution to punish citizens for speaking the truth about the illegal and unconstitutional actions of the government, or other governments around the world'.
The current dry run on the campuses of American universities of protests against the Gaza killings was intentionally watered down. It featured students wearing masks, backing corrupt Democratic Party "progressives," who did not go far in their criticism of the state. It also had the university and the police who had been given instructions not to attack with the brutality that they are capable of in other actions.
The very fact that the campus protests were widely discussed on NPR, a controlled mouthpiece of the multinational banks which entirely ignores all spontaneous actions by citizens, tells us that these student protests were used as cover for passing this bill.
Once the "Antisemitism Awareness Law" is in place and can used to justify massive shifts in the Department of Education, and by extension American elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and graduate programs, we can be certain that the true steel fist in the velvet glove will get to work shutting down all questions about the special relationship of the United States with Israel not only in terms of protests, but in terms of the content of courses, the text books assigned, and, by extension, in the media as a whole.
And it will not stop there. Once the precedent is in place, all criticism of just about anything can be outlawed, or subject to onerous punishments.
Moreover, there can be no doubt that this law is accompanied by the extension of the secret and top-secret classification system throughout the Department of Education, much as has been done in the Department of Energy and Department of the Treasury over the last few years. In other words, multinational financial entities will be able to give orders for education policy in the US that will be secret, for which it will be a crime (subject to massive fines and jail time) to reveal to the public.
Let us take a look at a few key passages in the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
"An act to provide for the consideration of a definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of Federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes"
[a justification of Federal interference in education at all levels justified by the interpretation of the term "antisemitism" to mean "Zionism" or "Israeli policy." It is important to note that many of the Republican advocates of these polices embrace the "Great Replacement Theory" that postulates that it is the Jews, and not the rich, who are using immigration to destroy the lives of working Americans. This devious antisemitic political movement is popular among precisely those who are suggesting that attacks on Israel are by their nature "antisemitic." The term "antisemitic" is but a trial term, a placeholder, for what will be eventually the replaced by the term "anti-American"]
"It is the policy of the United States to enforce such title against prohibited forms of discrimination rooted in antisemitism as vigorously as against all other forms of discrimination prohibited by such title"
[There is no need for a new law against antisemitism. The topic is already addressed extensively in Federal law. The only point is to authorize the use of the term "antisemitism" to suppress free speech]
"(A) increase awareness and understanding of antisemitism, including its threat to America;
[the use of the term"threat to America"expands the definition of"antisemitism"from a civil rights issue to a"national security"issue, and thus justifies the use of secret/top secret classification, and the extended role of Homeland Security, and even intelligence and defense agencies in domestic and international operations against"antisemitism"activities by citizens]
(B) improve safety and security for Jewish communities;
[This phrase is clearly intended to justify new Homeland Security operations and provides authorization for police to do most anything to stop"antisemitism]
(C) reverse the normalization of antisemitism and counter antisemitic discrimination;
[This is a justification for further "anti-disinformation" operations through Homeland Security that can be farmed out to private intelligence, think tanks, and public relations firms]
(D) expand communication and collaboration between communities."
[This harmless phrase is most likely referring to intelligence fusion centers that will be set up locally and internationally to track any"antisemitism"24/7 under Homeland Security]
"Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and is impacting Jewish students in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities."
[This twisted reasoning implies that stopping antisemitism and protecting Jewish students permits the department of education to issue internal orders regarding teaching, the content of textbooks, the assignment of readings, and even discussion among students regarding Israel and its actions. As stated before, the ultimate goal goes far beyond criticism of Israel. The point is to use civil rights law to create a dictatorship in which criticism is not permitted. This state already exists in most of the corporate world, and government world. It is being extended to education, media, and eventually to all of civil society]
"On December 11, 2019, Executive Order 13899 extended protections against discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to individuals subjected to antisemitism on college and university campuses and tasked Federal agencies to consider the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism"
[This executive order, of questionable constitutionality, empowers"Federal agencies"to take action against individuals and groups for their writings, expressions, or actions because they are"antisemitic]
"The White House released the first-ever United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism on May 25, 2023, making clear that the fight against this hate is a national, bipartisan priority that must be successfully conducted through a whole-of-government-and-society approach."
[The term "National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism" shows the move away from civil rights and into the rhetoric of national security. Such a shift opens the floodgates for the active violation of freedom of speech]
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We are not talking about a bad law that needs to be rejected, but rather the capture of the entire system of government in the United States of America. Although protests drawing attention to the suffering of the Palestinian people are entirely appropriate, they are far from sufficient. We must demand a restoration of constitutional process and the end of the corporate dictatorship in the country. We must go beyond the simple condemnation of the Israeli government and turn to the Declaration of Independence which states, when defining the nature of the United States of America,
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
This is the level that we must work at. If we have protests against the Gaza killings that focus on ethnic identity, rather than on the destruction of the constitutional republic, if we have demonstrations that are intentionally silent about the 9.11 incident and about COVID19 operation, both of which are intimately tied to Israel, then we will have a well- intentioned and sincere effort to address injustice that fails to grasp the nature of the problem and is crippled by horrific omissions from the narrative.
For verily, one must not raise up one's sword, literal or figurative, until one is certain who the enemy is.
H.R.6090 - Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023
Passed the House of Representatives (118TH CONGRESS, 2ND SESSION) on May 1, 2024.
H. R. 6090
"An act to provide for the consideration of a definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of Federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes"
This Act may be cited as the "Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023".
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance;
(2) while such title does not cover discrimination based solely on religion, individuals who face discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics do not lose protection under such title for also being members of a group that share a common religion;
(3) discrimination against Jews may give rise to a violation of such title when the discrimination is based on race, color, or national origin, which can include discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics;
(4) it is the policy of the United States to enforce such title against prohibited forms of discrimination rooted in antisemitism as vigorously as against all other forms of discrimination prohibited by such title; and
(5) as noted in the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism issued by the White House on May 25, 2023, it is critical to—
(A) increase awareness and understanding of antisemitism, including its threat to America;
(B) improve safety and security for Jewish communities;
(C) reverse the normalization of antisemitism and counter antisemitic discrimination; and
(D) expand communication and collaboration between communities.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and is impacting Jewish students in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.
(2) The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (referred to in this Act as the "IHRA") Working Definition of Antisemitism is a vital tool which helps individuals understand and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism.
(3) On December 11, 2019, Executive Order 13899 extended protections against discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to individuals subjected to antisemitism on college and university campuses and tasked Federal agencies to consider the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism when enforcing title VI of such Act.
(4) Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism when investigating violations of that title VI.
(5) The use of alternative definitions of antisemitism impairs enforcement efforts by adding multiple standards and may fail to identify many of the modern manifestations of antisemitism.
(6) The White House released the first-ever United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism on May 25, 2023, making clear that the fight against this hate is a national, bipartisan priority that must be successfully conducted through a whole-of-government-and-society approach.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act, the term "definition of antisemitism"—
(1) means the definition of antisemitism adopted on May 26, 2016, by the IHRA, of which the United States is a member, which definition has been adopted by the Department of State; and
(2) includes the "[c]ontemporary examples of antisemitism" identified in the IHRA definition.
SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) on the basis of race, color, or national origin, based on an individual's actual or perceived shared Jewish ancestry or Jewish ethnic characteristics, the Department of Education shall take into consideration the definition of antisemitism as part of the Department's assessment of whether the practice was motivated by antisemitic intent.
SEC. 6. OTHER RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
(a) General Rule Of Construction.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed—
(1) to expand the authority of the Secretary of Education;
(2) to alter the standards pursuant to which the Department of Education makes a determination that harassing conduct amounts to actionable discrimination; or
(3) to diminish or infringe upon the rights protected under any other provision of law that is in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Constitutional Protections.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Full text here