Law Signed By DeSantis Defines Antisemitism

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

Based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, House Bill 187 addresses and defines antisemitism in an official capacity. The purpose of this definition, as stated within the bill, is to bring awareness and aid in the monitoring of anti-Semitic hate crimes.

On the second and third page of the bill, the definition of antisemitism reads as follows: “a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and their property and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.

The bill then goes on to describe 11 examples of antisemitism. Some of which include denying the intentional genocide of Jewish people caused by Nazi Germany, accusing all “Jewish people as a collective of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a” Jewish group or individual, and accusing American citizens who are Jewish of being more loyal to Israel than America.

This bill notes that the term “does not include criticism of Israel that is similar to criticism of any other country”. In addition, it expresses that the definition is not intended to conflict with other anti-discrimination laws at the state or  federal level or to be a hindrance on the First Amendment. 

House Bill 187 was originally prepared by the Judiciary Committee, filed on October 16, 2023; and passed unanimously in the Senate and House with votes of 40-0 and 115-0, respectively. It was presented to Governor DeSantis on June 17, 2024, and he approved it on June 24, 2024.

For complete details on this new law, click here to read the full 4 pages of House Bill 187. For the official summary of the bill, click here. 

Article by Ema Tibbetts