The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two resolutions this week regarding anti-Semitism and anti-Israel incitement.
The first bi-partisan resolution, directed at condemning anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement in the Palestinian Authority, was sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., ranking member of the subcommittee, passed Monday.
A second resolution passed Tuesday urging the United States and European governments to take steps to keep their Jewish communities safe. That resolution was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R- N.J., who is chairman of the Helsinki Commission.
“The House has sent a clear message to the Palestinian leadership that its anti-Israel incitement causing so much of the recent tension, violence, and terror will no longer be tolerated,” Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement after the resolution on the Palestinian Authority passed vote. “There should be no doubt that the Palestinian Authority sets the tone with its incitement, resulting in the recent wave of attacks that we’re seeing against innocent Israeli civilians.”
Deutch said following the vote that the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel “is a direct result of incitement by Palestinian leaders accusing Israel of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount.”
“These false accusations send a dangerous message that violence and acts of terrorism are acceptable and even justified,” he said. “It is well past time for President Abbas to stand up and condemn all acts of violence, rather than encouraging violence by glorifying terrorists and teaching children to view Israelis as animals.”
The second resolution, which had 89 co-sponsors, calls on the U.S. administration to encourage European governments, law enforcement agencies, and intergovernmental organizations to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks.
“The number of violent anti-Semitic attacks has increased from 100 to 400 percent in some European countries since 2013,” Smith, who co-chairs the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, said in a statement. “The murders in Paris, Copenhagen, and elsewhere reminded us that there are those who are motivated by anti-Semitism and have the will to kill.”
The resolution, House Resolution 354, was endorsed by Jewish community groups including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Orthodox Union, the Secure Community Network, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
