(The Center Square) – Responding to recent protests centered on the war between Hamas and Israel, the North Carolina House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that joins more than 30 other states in adopting a working definition of antisemitism.
The definition was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2016.
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” the definition states. “Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
According to the legislation known as the SHALOM Act, House Bill 942’s adoption of the definition is not designed to hamper free speech but “will serve as a tool and guide for training, education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents.”
In a news conference, House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said the bill is timely because of the recent acts of antisemitism and violence. North Carolina has hate-crime legislation, but there is not a specific definition of antisemitism in state law, he said.
“We’ve seen acts of violence perpetrated on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill where individuals or law enforcement were physically assaulted,” the speaker said. “I think the chancellor was actually spit on and had objects thrown at him, water thrown at him. You had people breaking all these laws and really taking it to a level it should be deemed antisemitic.”
Some of the protesters held signs depicting terrorists coming into Israel on paragliders, Moore said.
“Enough is enough,” Moore said.
The legislation passed the House 105-4 Wednesday and now moves to the Senate. The four noes were Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford; Rep. Nasif Majeed, D-Mecklenburg; Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham; and Rep. Renee Price, D-Orange.
“This bill, this legislation is important to me because unfortunately I have faced incidents of antisemitism growing up here,” said Phil Brodsky, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh. “In the last few years, and especially in the last six months since Oct. 7, the Jewish community is one that needs its voice amplified. We’ve seen an historic rise in antisemitism in America over the past several years and an exponential increase since Oct. 7.”
That includes anti-Jewish graffiti, bomb threats and outright attacks on Jewish people in the streets, he said.
“How can we address this hatred without being able to define it?” he asked. “So I’m grateful to this North Carolina state for bringing a modern definition of antisemitism to our state.”
