A new law was signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) at the end of April that aims to combat the antisemitism epidemic that is spreading across the nation. The law in question, HB 2061, will require public schools and universities to treat antisemitism as any other type of racial discrimination, using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) "working definition" of antisemitism.
According to the IHRA definition, “rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
AFN has reported previously on extensive antisemitism on college campuses, so much so that the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles for intentional indifference to the issue.
However, this new bill has sparked mixed reactions from experts around the country, reports The College Fix.
Supporters of the bill such as Sarah Perry from Defending Education and Rabbi Ze’ev Smason of the Missouri chapter for Coalition for Jewish Values, who believe the law is needed to protect Jewish students of unjust harassment.
The bills opponents, such as Michael Hurley of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, agree that antisemitism needs to be addressed but argue that the law conflicts with free speech.
Matt Lamb, associate editor at The College Fix, says that the new law could limit free speech when discussing the nation of Israel.
“It's important that these laws do not infringement on the First Amendment,” Lamb says.
He spoke on a similar law that passed through Congress but received negative feedback from Jewish conservatives such as Ben Shapiro.
“Prominent Jewish conservatives like Ben Shapiro was critical of the law because it could be read to essentially punish people for stating various religious beliefs,” Lamb states.
Lamb also discussed how laws, like the one in Missouri, might worsen the antisemitic problem on college campuses and may lead to more people being sympathetic to the pro-Palestinian cause. He offered a better alternative.
“The best way to address a lot of these problems is to stop direct hostile harassment of people, but otherwise, let the various groups on campus host their rallies, host their speakers, and let the marketplace of ideas play out,” Lamb says.
The law will be implemented in the upcoming school year.
