The Home is about to vote Tuesday on a Republican decision condemning antisemitism in the USA and globally.
Numerous Democrats, nonetheless, have expressed concern that the language of the GOP decision is overly broad and would successfully outline any criticism of the Israeli authorities or its insurance policies as antisemitism.
The vote comes as assist to Israel stays stalled in Congress amid Israel’s conflict in opposition to Hamas. There may be widespread bipartisan assist for assist to Israel, however the subject has turn into entangled with partisan disputes over different coverage priorities, together with the US Southern border, placing its passage in query.
Forward of the vote, Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Daniel Goldman of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland urged their colleagues to vote “current” on the GOP decision, describing it as a partisan try to attain political factors and saying {that a} bipartisan method is required.
Nadler, Goldman and Raskin on Monday launched another decision that condemns antisemitism and calls on govt department businesses and Congress to implement the Biden administration’s nationwide technique to counter antisemitism.
In remarks on the Home flooring, Nadler pointed to language within the GOP decision stating that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism.”
“That’s both intellectually disingenuous or simply factually unsuitable,” he mentioned.
“The authors, in the event that they had been in any respect aware of Jewish historical past and tradition, ought to learn about Jewish anti-Zionism that was, and is, expressly not antisemitic,” he mentioned.
“Most anti-Zionism, significantly on this second, has an actual antisemitism downside. However we can not pretty say that one equals the opposite,” he mentioned.
In November, the GOP-controlled Home passed a bill to offer $14.3 billion in assist to Israel. Democrats, nonetheless, took subject with the invoice over the truth that it will enact funding cuts to the Inside Income Service and wouldn’t embrace assist to Ukraine.
Senate Republicans, alternatively, have argued that assist for Ukraine and Israel have to be paired with border coverage adjustments, which has created a sticking level in that chamber.
Individually, two Home Democrats are planning on introducing a resolution this week condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence and rape in opposition to Israeli ladies.
Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida has begun drafting the decision, a Democratic lawmaker aware of the plans advised CNN.
A supply aware of Frankel’s pondering advised CNN combating rape as a weapon of conflict is a long-standing precedence for the congresswoman and the decision was not drafted as a response to any feedback made by different members.
The transfer comes, nonetheless, within the wake of Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s feedback to CNN’s Dana Bash that upset various her Democratic colleagues.
Whereas Jayapal condemned the rape of Israeli ladies by Hamas and referred to as it “horrific” on CNN’s “State of the Union,” she identified that over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli assaults in Gaza for the reason that begin of the conflict and mentioned, “I feel we now have to be balanced about bringing within the outrages in opposition to Palestinians.”
CNN’s Annie Grayer contributed to this report.
