A political advocacy group is more and more involved about Jewish college students’ security as they return to campuses this fall and needs Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to swiftly move a invoice cracking down on antisemitism earlier than demonstrations will get out of hand once more, a supply aware of the trouble informed The Submit.
The Florence Avenue Initiative is spending $2 million on an advert blitz calling on Schumer to take up the Bipartisan Antisemitism Consciousness Act, Jewish Insider first reported, or danger “breaking the promise he made” to defend college students as the best rating Jewish member of Congress.
“With the campus unrest that we noticed within the spring and count on once more within the fall, it’s past comprehension that Chuck Schumer wouldn’t take motion,” the supply near the initiative mentioned. “He needs to proclaim he’s the nice defender of Jews in America however but he turned his again on them of their time of want.”
“The Senate has not had one single listening to on antisemitism,” the supply added, calling it “deplorable” that the Majority Chief failed to go to Jewish Columbia College college students after their campus was overtaken by anti-Israel demonstrators who threatened and harassed them within the spring.
The laws empowers the US Schooling Division to make use of the Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating potential violations of civil rights legislation.
It was opposed by left-wing teams just like the American Civil Liberties Union and right-wing members of Congress like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) over free speech considerations primarily based on the IHRA definition.
A minimum of seven examples of antisemitism included concern criticism of Israel, together with “drawing comparisons of up to date Israeli coverage to that of the Nazis,” “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” and “making use of double requirements by requiring of [Israel] a conduct not anticipated or demanded of some other democratic nation.”
However its authors like Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) keep it “permits criticism of Israel” however “doesn’t permit requires the destruction or elimination of the Jewish state.”
The antisemitism invoice handed the Home on a bipartisan foundation with 320 votes in Could — however has since languished within the Senate.
The advert, which is being aired digitally and can go onto broadcast tv after Labor Day, blames Schumer for the maintain up.
“Majority Chief Chuck Schumer claims he stands tall in opposition to antisemitism, in opposition to hate,” a narrator says within the 60 second TV spot. “In actuality, Schumer alone blocks it from coming to a Senate vote.”
One other Capitol Hill supply spilled to The Submit that the Majority Chief is intent on bringing his No Kings Act and different messaging payments in opposition to Republicans to the ground in September — however not the antisemitism laws.
The measure was launched by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who identified the issue it confronted within the Home was due to Democratic infighting over US assist for Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
“A few of my colleagues on the left are permitting electoral politics to get in the best way of doing what is true,” he mentioned in the course of the Home debate of the invoice in Could.
A model of the laws had already handed the Republican-controlled Senate in 2016 — however not the Democrat-run Home — and was later adopted by President Trump through govt order.
It stays one of many few govt actions that President Biden didn’t reverse upon taking workplace.
Nonetheless, proponents are pushing to codify it and predicting that as many as 30 Senate Democrats already assist it, in line with the supply, nor has the White Home issued any veto menace in regards to the invoice.
“Schumer is all discuss,” the supply added. “He’s simply frightened of the left, he’s frightened of [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez,” referring to the Bronx “Squad” pol who has been floated as a menace in opposition to him in future Democratic major races.
The Florence Avenue Initiative advert marketing campaign is operating in New York and 2024 battleground states.
A Schumer spokesman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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