Calling upon Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to prove himself the “Shomer,” or Guardian, that he often claims to be, Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV) requested that Mr. Schumer urgently place three bills, all focused upon combating antisemitism, onto the Senate agenda. This comes after weeks of inaction despite strong bipartisan support for the proposed Acts, giving them a strong likelihood of quick passage once introduced.

CJV, representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, sent a letter last week to the Majority Leader with their appeal to put the three legislative efforts up for consideration. “We are confident that Senators will see fit to pass all three of these critical Acts,” wrote the rabbis, “if given the opportunity to vote upon them.”

The CJV letter focused upon these three bills:

• The Antisemitism Awareness Act would have the Department of Education employ the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, including its contemporary examples, when evaluating whether an action was motivated by antisemitism. This is of heightened importance because groups claiming to be merely anti-Israel routinely attempt to hide their antisemitic beliefs, and the IHRA definition identifies where purported political beliefs about Israel are rooted in antisemitism.

• The Countering Antisemitism Act would establish, within the office of the President, a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism, to advise the President and coordinate Federal efforts to counter antisemitism, as well as an Interagency Task Force to Counter Antisemitism.

• The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act puts sanctions upon all who made or now attempt to facilitate the Antisemitic demand for arrest warrants against Israeli officials at the International Criminal Court.

CJV also called attention to an address Mr. Schumer made earlier this year from the Senate floor, one in which he directly interfered in Israel’s democratic process and otherwise subjected Israel to untenable double standards. “To say that we were disappointed is understatement,” they wrote, “but, as rabbis, we believe in repentance and redemption,” indicating that he now had an opportunity to turn a new page. CJV also mentioned the charge given by Mordechai to Esther, the eponymous heroine of the Biblical story: “Who knows if it was for a time like this that you achieved rulership?”

The CJV letter concluded with wishes to the Senator that he be blessed with “both insight and foresight in this and in all your legislative decisions.”

Photo Credit: Gregory Hauenstein on Flickr