INDIANAPOLIS — State lawmakers in the House have passed a bill that would define antisemitism Thursday afternoon by a vote of 83-0.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where Sen. Aaron Freeman is the sponsor.
Seventeen representatives excused themselves from the vote.
In a statement provided to 13News, Maliha Zafar, Executive Director of the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network, said of the bill's passing through the House:
“As we continue to support efforts to protect against antisemitism, we remain steadfast that HB 1002 in its current form will stifle free speech because of the reference to contemporary examples that conflate some forms of criticism of Israel with antisemitism and open the door to censorship in curriculum. We're so proud of the students and community members who came to the statehouse over the past few weeks to discuss the issues with this bill. We encourage legislators to also address the rise of islamophobia and prioritize the importance of freedom of speech as this bill moves to the Senate.”
The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council also released a statement regarding the bill's passage.
“We must define antisemitism if we are to counter antisemitism,” stated Jacob Markey, Executive Director of JCRC. “This legislation provides a universal definition that will align Indiana with a widely accepted standard.”
"Sadly, in 21st century America and in our own state, Jewish students are being targeted and are afraid to be who they are,” said JCRC Board President Jamie Ratner Rich. “It is unconscionable and antithetical to our deeply held Hoosier values.”
Last week, people testified in front of the House Education Committee for more than three hours, some in support and some against House Bill 1002.
On Jan. 16, discussions weren't as long. There was one amendment offered, but it was quickly defeated.
House Bill 1002 defines antisemitism as discrimination based on religion.
The bill’s author, Rep. Chris Jeter, R-District 88, has said its purpose is to protect Jewish people from discrimination based on their religion in a school environment.
According to the bill, criticism of Israel, just like criticism of any other country, would not be considered antisemitism.
“I think we want to make sure we treat Israel as any other country. We just want to make sure we’re not advocating for the elimination of an entire group of folks, which is I think what the bill is targeting,” Jeter said on the House floor Tuesday.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, incidents of antisemitism have gone up 360% since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas and the war that has followed in Gaza.
Supporters of the bill say the rise in incidents makes this bill more urgent than ever.
“We see this increase in antisemitism, and we know if we want to fight hate, defining antisemitism is a critical component of defining hate,” said Jacob Markey, the executive director of the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council.
“Of course, antisemitism is an issue we care about. We want to see empathy for all communities,” said Indiana University student, Malaika Khan.
“I think if we’re going to write a bill for one form of discrimination, it needs to include many more,” Khan added later.
According to Khan, Muslim students at IU, including herself, who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza during protests, have faced acts of hate, too.
“We get called terrorists and stuff like that. We’ve had people spit on us,” Khan said, explaining that she’s worried if House Bill 1002 becomes law, it will stifle any criticism of Israel.
“If we do any advocacy for Palestine or criticism of Israel at all, then it will be labeled as antisemitism, and we will face repercussions for that,” Khan said, pointing to the recent suspension of a tenured IU professor who she says was punished for his work with students in support of Palestine and a ceasefire.
“I can’t imagine how much worse it will be once this bill goes through,” Khan said.
IU issued this statement about the professor’s recent suspension:
“Indiana University carefully follows its policies and procedures and is fully committed to free speech and academic freedom that fosters robust intellectual inquiry. The University Faculty Council amended the policy on Responsibilities of Academic Appointees in April 2023, which the university faithfully follows. Per the amended policy approved by the University Faculty Council, the campus chief academic affairs officer may conduct a formal investigation and impose appropriate sanctions.
It is the university’s practice not to comment on individual personnel matters. However, in determining common sanctions, it is uniform practice for the chief academic affairs officer to consider the facts of a given case, in addition to prior or repeat patterns of behavior or misconduct.”
Tuesday afternoon, concerns surrounding free speech were brought up by Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-District 94, who offered an amendment to the bill.
“What this amendment does is it clarifies that you’re able to criticize Israel without having any exclusions,” said Pryor, whose amendment was defeated soon after.
House Bill 1002, heads back to the House floor for a third read, where amendments can still be offered, before the entire House votes on the bill.
Last year, the House unanimously passed this exact same bill, but it didn’t go anywhere in the Senate. This year, lawmakers have said, the discussion is likely to be shaped by what’s going on in the Middle East.