Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) labeled the House antisemitism legislation as a “ridiculous hate speech bill” ahead of the vote Wednesday.
The House approved a bill that aims to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests taking place at U.S. universities across the country. Gaetz voiced his opposition to the bill ahead of the vote, saying some excerpts of the Bible would meet this bill’s definition of antisemitism.
“This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act,'” he wrote on the social platform X.
“Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words. The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill!” he continued.
The bill, if enacted, would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing antidiscrimination laws.
Gaetz said that one of the examples of IHRA’s definition of antisemitism includes “claims of Jews killing Jesus.” He then pointed to excerpts from the Bible to back his argument, suggesting that the religious text would fall under the definition.
“The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this. Therefore, I will not support this bill,” he added on X.
The IHRA defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and says “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.”
The bill would also cover contemporary examples of antisemitism identified by the IHRA, including “using the symbols and messages associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis” and “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) made a similar argument Wednesday about the legislation, saying she would oppose the bill because it would define antisemitic behavior to include remarks about Jews killing Jesus. The Georgia Republican said in a social media post that the bill “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”
Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) took aim at Greene for opposing the bill and her rationale for doing so during a joint appearance on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” on Wednesday.
Both lawmakers, who introduced the bill last year, said it would not make believing in the Gospel illegal. The bill passed the House Wednesday in a 320-91 vote to send to the Senate for consideration.