Agudath Israel of America applauds the Georgia State Legislature for passing HB30, a bill which defines antisemitism according to the IHRA working definition.
The bill, which was spearheaded by Representative Esther Panitch (D-51) and Representative John Carson (R-46), passed both the Georgia State Senate and House today and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
The IHRA working definition of antisemitism gives organizations and governments a baseline for identifying antisemitism. Notably, it provides concrete examples of antisemitic tropes that involve conspiracy theories, control, and dehumanization, among others. It also recognizes that ostensibly anti-Israel speech is often actually antisemitism and defines the acceptable limits of political discourse when it comes to Israeli and Jewish affairs.
“Agudath Israel is especially grateful to Representatives Panich and Carson for championing the bill last year and for continuing to advocate for it this year. We also thank Senate President Pro Tempore John Kennedy for sponsoring the bill in the Senate,” said Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld, associate national director of state relations for Agudah Israel of America. “We encourage other states to follow Georgia’s example.”