Conservatives Blast Unconstitutional Antisemitism Bill As Anti-Israel Protests Rage On College Campuses

United States House of Representatives by a 320-91 vote, passed a bill Wednesday, expanding the legal definition of antisemitism used to enforce anti-discrimination laws. This comes as anti-Israel protests over the ongoing Gaza war, rage at college campuses across the country.

If passed by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, the Antisemitism Awareness Act would mandate that the Department of Education legally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

One of the bill's Democrat sponsors Pat Ryan(D-NY), said there's "no place for antisemitism on college campuses."

"We need to take an aggressive and multifaceted approach to keep our Jewish students safe, and that means passing the Antisemitism Awareness Act immediately," the left-wing congressman reportedly said.

Criticisms of the bill which was rushed through the House, were swift, as many took to social media to slam congress members for trying to undermine the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution.

"Antisemitism is wrong, but I will not be voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) today that could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews," conservative Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, (D-Ga) wrote on X.

Another Republican Thomas Massie(R-Ky), also voiced his objections to the bill.

"This is a poorly conceived unconstitutional bill and I will vote no," Massie wrote on X, along with screenshots of examples on IHRA's website of what it defines as antisemitism. It includes "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor" and "drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis."

Congressman Matt Gaetz(R-Fl) wrote on X before the bill's passage: "This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the 'Antisemitism Awareness Act.' Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words. The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill! The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes 'contemporary examples of antisemitism' identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). One of those examples includes: '…claims of Jews killing Jesus…' The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this. Therefore, I will not support this bill."

Other conservative critics decried the undue influence of Israel on US congress members which, many allege, is a result of compromise-and-blackmail operations conducted against the politicians by Israeli intelligence, Mossad's operatives.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens wrote on X: "Israel has completely over-played its hand now. True American conservatives will never support laws that threaten speech. This bill is the work of deranged Bolshevik psychopaths. There’s no other way to state it."

In another post, Owens wrote: "When are Christians going to wake up? First professing that “Christ is King” during Easter week is antisemitic. Now, the true story of Christ’s death is deemed antisemitic. Christians are being told that acknowledging our doctrine or history is a form of antisemitism."

Podcaster Matt Walsh also wrote on X: "The bill is a disgrace and you should seriously question any Republican who supports it. The legislation would in fact label criticism of the Israeli government as “antisemitic.” Any notion that Americans should be legally penalized in any way for criticizing any government -- even a foreign government -- is just pure madness and un-American in the extreme."

Far-left activists have been protesting across the country against Israel's bombing of Gaza, as they blast Biden for giving billions of dollars more in aid to the Jewish state.

The anti-Israel protest at Columbia University ended overnight Wednesday when New York Police Department(NYPD) officers infiltrated Hamilton Hall and cleared it within two hours. Several were arrested and the encampment on campus was cleared.

Other protesters marched to the City College of New York (CUNY) and clashed with police. NYPD made several arrests.

In Texas, police officers in riot gear on Wednesday tore down an encampment at a protest on the campus of University of Texas, Dallas.

Volunteers had reportedly set up the encampment in Chess Plaza early last Friday, hanging a banner that read “Welcome to Gaza Liberation Plaza.”

Police officers closed in on the campus Wednesday afternoon and arrested at least 19 people after warning certain participants they were criminally trespassing.

Protesters surrounding the scene taunted the officers chanting, “shame on you!"

Elsewhere, anti-Israel protesters who have set up an encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles are asking supporters to donate various items to help them sustain their acts of disobedience, including vegan food, gas masks and EpiPens. A Google document posted online by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA shows a list of much-needed items wanted by the protesters at the so-called UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment.

"We will not leave. We will remain here until our demands are met," the group said in a statement. 

The list includes airsoft goggles, knee and elbow pads, utility gloves -- without reinforced knuckles -- bright flashlights with strobe, rope, zip ties, skater helmets, shields, wood to construct a barrier and non-steroid inhalers.

Opinions on the protests have been divided among conservative critics. Some critics point out that BLM and antifa rioters in 2020 were not cracked down on -- in many cases encouraged -- in Democrat-run cities, as they looted and destroyed private and government properties.

Aggressive law enforcement actions against anti-Israel protests, the critics say, appear to confirm suspicions among many voters that the Jewish nation has undue influence on elected politicians in the U.S. and the  west in general.

While most conservative critics have adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the protests, some point out that the protesters are some of the most anti-American far-left extremists on campuses across the country.

"These college protesters are vile anti-American communist punks who despise me and you and would be happy if we died," Walsh wrote in part, as a response to another conservative critic. "It is absolutely foolish to embrace them as allies. At the same time I am against some of the things that have been done and policies that have been proposed ostensibly in response to the communists. These views are not in contradiction."