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The House of Representatives passed a resolution Friday condemning hate crimes and rhetoric against Muslims, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities, but some expressed concern after anti-Semitism was added to a list of offenses the measure addresses.
The resolution condemns “anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, Islamophobia, racism, bigotry and white supremacy, xenophobia, Afrophobia, and any other form of religious intolerance.”
It also mentions “anti-Palestinian discrimination,” which some argued was inappropriate given that Palestinians are not a religious minority, but a nationality.
The resolution was sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D- Fla.), and Andre Carson (D-Ind.).
“This resolution is an important step towards combatting the rising tide of hate crimes and rhetoric against religious minorities in this country. We must stand up to the fear-mongering and divisiveness that is a trademark of the Gillespie, Trump and Pence Administration,” Beyer said in a statement.
However, some Republicans and independent analysts argued that the resolution should not link anti-Semitism and “anti-Palestinian discrimination.”
“The use of the term ‘anti-Palestinian discrimination’ to link anti-Semitism and religious bigotry is highly inappropriate and very troubling,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), an Orthodox Jew, tweeted. “Equating criticism of policy to religious bigotry has long been a tool used to silence honest discourse on this issue.”
Likewise, Jeffrey Field, a legal scholar at the nonpartisan Institute for Justice, told the Washington Free Beacon that he was “troubled” by the inclusion of anti-Palestinian discrimination in the resolution.
“It appears to be an effort to stifle criticism of the Palestinian Authority or to conflate criticism of its government with anti-Semitism,” he said. “That’s a dangerous game and risks undermining the important effort to combat real anti-Semitism.”