Vote Explainer – Condemning Antisemitism

Transparency is vital to democracy. Below please find explainers for key votes I took in the 118th Congress.

Vote Explainer: H.R. 894 – Strongly Condemning Antisemitism

On December 5, the House voted to unequivocally condemn all instances of antisemitism occurring in the United States and around the world, a call that is all the more essential as hateful attacks against Jewish communities around the world are on the rise.

A majority of the Democratic caucus decided the protest the resolution because it contained a line clearly stating that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” Criticism of Israeli governmental policy – or even rejecting the desirability of a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians – is not inherently antisemitic. While intellectually that may be the case, I take the phrase “anti-Zionism” to mean a fundamental opposition to the continued existence of the State of Israel. Israel is a real country made up of millions of human beings. In 2023, there can be no question that the State of Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign, independent nation.