A New Jersey Assembly committee voted July 24 in favor of a measure to define antisemitism in the state, following over eight hours of heated debate on the issue.

The Assembly State and Local Government Committee unanimously voted to advance the bill in the Assembly, which is a significant step toward enshrining the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into law. The hearing drew huge crowds that filled five rooms of the Statehouse.

The aim of bill A3558 is to aid investigators and law enforcement in determining if a crime was motivated by antisemitism, said Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), the bill’s sponsor. Over 37 other U.S. states and 46 countries have adopted the definition, he added.

The hearing in Trenton, which dragged on until after 8 p.m., drew a roster of 250 speakers who urged political leaders to either adopt or reject the bill. Many speakers spoke with emotion, with supporters of the bill describing their fear amid rising antisemitism while opponents asserted that it could curtail freedom of speech.

At times, the proceedings grew unruly, and speakers or the crowd had to be reprimanded for speaking too long, going off topic or for applause.

The bill generated heat even before the hearing began. Chairman Robert Karabinchak said he received 4,000 emails and 1,700 calls and texts about the bill. And dozens of protesters outside of the state capital building in the morning rallied against the bill.

A companion bill passed in the New Jersey Senate in June 2024 and last month, the New Jersey Assembly’s Community Development and Affairs Committee canceled a vote on the bill at the last minute, leaving attendees fuming.

But this time, a vote was taken and it cleared the committee. Jason Shames, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, said he was thrilled that the committee adopted it.

“It means that we are one step closer to making New Jersey a safer place for our 610,000 Jews,” Shames said.

There’s still a long way to go before IHRA becomes law in the state: The bill must pass in both the Senate and General Assembly in identical form to receive final legislative approval and, following final passage in the Legislature, it will be sent to the governor for final approval.

Gubernatorial candidates support measure

New Jersey’s Republican and Democratic candidates for governor have recognized antisemitism as a growing problem and expressed support for a bill to address it.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli, in a post July 24 on X and Facebook wrote, “Given the record antisemitism in our state, it’s about time for New Jersey legislators to adopt a uniform definition of antisemitism, as provided by the IHRA Bill…” He added that there should be “real legal consequences for those who engage in antisemitic acts.”

Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate, said in a June 26 Facebook post, “I have long supported legislation that combats antisemitism and has protections for the First Amendment — including voting for the IHRA definition in Congress.”

Hearing testimony

Many of the critics of the IHRA Bill who spoke at the hearing said they feared it would stifle their rights.

Yasmine Mustafa said the bill “will silence political speech” and that it aims “to shield the Israeli government from accountability” during a time when many people are critiquing its actions in Gaza. Furthermore, the bill not only “doesn’t protect Jewish Americans but it’s dangerous and unconstitutional. It turns human rights advocacy into hate. Where are the bills protecting the rights of other groups?” she said.

Ali Aljarrah, a state leader of CAIR Action New Jersey, said, “Committee after committee has refused to vote on this bill, recognizing that it threatens our civil liberties. Yet this unpopular bill keeps being resuscitated to appease politically powerful opponents of free speech.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism in New Jersey and around the world has skyrocketed. Many of the proponents of the definition stated that it’s essential to fight hate against Jews but before it can be fought, it must be clearly identified.

Emma Horowitz of Teaneck said, “We as a society have no problem calling racist speech racist or sexist speech sexist so there should be no problem calling antisemitic speech antisemitic.”

Horowitz said that the bill is needed so that when law enforcement officials investigate crimes against Jews, they “consider the world’s most well-accepted definition of antisemitism. So if you said some antisemitic things and you just happened to attack a Jewish person, then yes − the relevant authorities can and should use the antisemitic statements as evidence of intent behind the act.”

Avi Posnick, the Northeast Director of StandWithUS, an international education organization, added that “the shocking fact is that the majority of U.S. Jews have reported experiencing antisemitism… State officials have a responsibility to protect citizens from hateful acts and that includes antisemitism.”

But often, he said, school administrators or law enforcement can’t address the problem because there’s no clarity on “what antisemitism is and how it is manifesting.” The IHRA definition provides the tools for assessing whether unlawful activity was motivated by antisemitism, he said.

Antisemitism in New Jersey remains at a historic high. In 2024, the state had the third-highest number of antisemitic incidents nationwide, after New York and California, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks such incidents.

Read article HERE