Antisemitism has been formally condemned in the U.S. House of Representatives through a resolution put forward by a North Carolina congresswoman passing 388-21.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., born to Jewish parents in Michigan 67 years ago about a decade after the Holocaust, is cochairwoman of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism and is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House. Her resolution, shepherded with U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., urges countries to adopt the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism.
“Since Hamas’ brutal attack on Oct. 7th, antisemitism has skyrocketed, not just here in the United States but across the globe, leaving Jewish communities under increased threat of violence and discrimination,” Manning said.
The resolution condemned antisemitism in countries around the world. It “welcomes the new Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism unveiled by the United States and partners in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17.”
Further, the resolution “calls upon states and international bodies to take action to counter antisemitism.” And, it “encourages greater action and international cooperation to counter antisemitism.”
“The spiritual cancer of antisemitism is metastasizing – not only in our own country but in many others as well – at a rate that is both shocking and sickening,” Smith said. “The Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism constitute a program of best practices that can be adopted by countries and organizations to formulate policies that boldly and effectively respond to this pernicious hatred.”
The 20 cosponsors with Manning did not include any North Carolinians.
In the vote that needed two-thirds favoring for passage, Republicans were 193-18 for it and Democrats 195-3 for it. Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., winner three weeks ago of the state attorney general post, did not vote.
All of Manning’s other colleagues from the state were in favor: fellow Democratic Reps. Alma Adams, Don Davis, Valerie Foushee, Wiley Nickel and Deborah Ross, and Republican Reps. Dan Bishop, Chuck Edwards, Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Patrick McHenry, Dr. Greg Murphy and David Rouzer.
Earlier this year, Manning filed the Countering Antisemitism Act on April 10 as encampments and protests connected to the Middle East war between Hamas and Israel escalated. Manning has 60 bipartisan cosponsors, along with 61 national Jewish organizations in support.
The day of its introduction, it was referred to five committees in the chamber – Judiciary; Education and the Workforce; Homeland Security; Oversight and Accountability; and Transportation and Infrastructure. Homeland Security, the same day, referred it to a subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence. Those were the last actions.
Within the bill, Manning proposes a requirement for the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center to “jointly produce an annual threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism.” It also takes aim at discrimination in higher education, and seeks to establish within the White House a national coordinator to counter antisemitism, serving as the principal advisor to the president.
