Urge Elected Officials to Hear HB 1037 in the Senate Education Committee

 

We need your help to support the passage of Indiana HB 1037, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism into Indiana’s education code.

Background: Last month, the Indiana House passed HB 1037, which defines antisemitism and identifies it as a form of discrimination in the state’s education code. The bill refers to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, with 11 accompanying examples of antisemitic activity. This definition has been adopted by 30 states, dozens of countries, and over 1,000 organizations and entities and has been endorsed by multiple US administrations.

JCRC testified in favor of the bill during its hearing in the House Education Committee. In a time of rising antisemitism and persecution of many diverse peoples, we are thankful for the show of support from our State Representatives, who passed the bill unanimously.

Opposition to the bill is growing following its move to the Indiana Senate. Some people have inaccurately claimed that the IHRA definition is intended to stifle criticism of Israel. On the contrary, while identifying circumstances in which anti-Israel sentiment may deviate into antisemitism, both the bill and the IHRA definition explicitly state that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic.

ACT NOW

JCRC continues to advocate for the passage of HB 1037 and is in contact with Jewish organizations across the state. We urge you to contact the bill’s co-sponsors in the Senate, Sen. Jeff Raatz (Chair of the Education Committee) and Sen. Sue Glick, as well as President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray, to encourage the bill’s introduction in the Senate Education Committee.

Contact Information for Senators Raatz, Glick, and Bray

Sen. Jeff Raatz
317-232-9400
Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov

Sen. Sue Glick
317-232-9400
Senator.Glick@iga.in.gov 

President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray
317-232-9400
Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov

Sample Language

Dear Senator Raatz/Glick/Bray,

We urge you to ensure that HB 1037 has a hearing in the Senate Education Committee. HB 1037 defines antisemitism and identifies it as a form of discrimination in the state’s education code. The bill refers to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, with 11 accompanying examples of antisemitic activity. This definition has been adopted by 30 states, dozens of countries, and over 1,000 organizations and entities and has been endorsed by multiple US administrations.

While some argue that this definition prohibits all criticism of Israel, this is not true. The definition is intended to distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israel and what might otherwise be thinly-disguised forms of antisemitism. These include accusing Jews of “dual loyalty,” comparing Israeli politicians to Nazis, and collectively holding all Jewish people responsible for the actions of Israel. The definition includes a clause that states, “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic” to highlight this distinction.

In addition, this definition is not meant to suppress political speech. All it does is point out ways anti-Israel sentiment can, at times, deviate into antisemitism.

With the sharp increase in antisemitism over the past decade, now is the time to take a stand against antisemitism. We hope that HB 1037 will get a hearing in the Education Committee.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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