INDIANAPOLIS — State lawmakers heard almost three hours of passionate public testimony Wednesday afternoon about antisemitism and whether Indiana needs to define it to protect Jewish students.
House Bill 1002 defines antisemitism for educational purposes, with the goal of protecting Jewish people from discrimination based on religion in the school environment.
The Anti-Defamation League reports a 360% increase in antisemitism incidents since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza.
"Jewish students are pained and hurting inside, not just by the atrocities, but by the normalization and justification of what has happened,” testified Rabbi Levi Cunin, Chabad Indiana University co-director. “So how can Jewish students feel safe when this is happening around them?"
Forty-five people signed up to testify before the Indiana House Education Committee.
The bill says, "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. 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."
"It is critical to specify that antisemitism is discrimination on the basis of religion, and it interferes deeply with the education of the Jewish students on campus,” Rabbi Sue Silberberg, IU Hillel executive director, told the committee.
But opponents argue the definition is too vague and the bill could restrict criticism of the nation of Israel’s policies and actions.
"It's a freedom of speech issue,” IU student Aidan Khamis testified. “I think our very democracy is founded on the idea that everyone gets to say that if we're willing to exclude a group of people, based on what they're saying, if we're willing to silence them, that those mechanisms will ultimately return back to us and silence our own voices."
The bill language specifically "does not include criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country."
HB 1002 is authored by State Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers. An identical bill passed the house 97-0 last year but died in the Senate.
The committee passed the bill on to the full House on a 12-0 vote with one member excused.