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By Noah Silverman, RJC Legislative Director

On Tuesday, the GOP-led House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution authored by the two Jewish members of the Republican majority – Rep. David Kustoff (TN-8) and Max Miller (OH-7). The resolution (read the full text here) cites some of the many recent instances of antisemitic violence and incitement in the US and around the world. It then states that the House "strongly condemns and denounces all instances of antisemitism occurring in the United States and globally… reaffirms and reiterates its strong support for the Jewish community at home and abroad and calls on elected officials and world leaders to condemn and fight all forms of domestic and global antisemitism."

Of special note: The Kustoff-Miller resolution notes the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism as a tool for fighting Jew-hatred. It calls out the now-familiar pro-Hamas protest slogan "From the river to the sea" as "a rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people." Perhaps most importantly, the Kustoff-Miller resolution puts the House on record "clearly and firmly stat[ing] that anti-Zionism is antisemitism."

The resolution passed 311-14, with 92 House Democrats voting "present." The long list of Democrats who refused to support the resolution included the top members of the House Democratic leadership – Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-6), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5), and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33).

The list of fourteen "no" votes represents the most virulent anti-Israel members. Thirteen are Democrats: Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-1), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Chuy Garcia (IL-4), Raul Grijalva (AZ-7), Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Summer Lee (PA-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-5), Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Delia Ramirez (IL-3), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

The only GOP member to vote against condemning antisemitism was Thomas Massie (KY-4), who has consistently aligned with the Squad in their antipathy toward the Jewish state. (See more about Rep. Massie in the "RJC in the News" item below.)

Marc Rod at the Jewish Insider reports:

The House voted Thursday evening [Nov. 30] to cut off the administration's ability to allow any funding to Iran, splitting the House Democratic caucus nearly in half, with 90 Democrats voting with almost all Republicans in favor of the bill.

…The final House vote on the bill was 307-119-1; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican opposed and Rep. George Santos (R-NY), expecting to be expelled from Congress on Friday morning, voted present on every vote on Thursday.

The House also voted 412-11-1 to add language to the bill condemning Hamas' and other Iranian-backed terror groups' use of human shields and stating that unconditional surrender and disarmament by Hamas is the only way to ensure the safety of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

…Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Al Green (D-TX), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Greg Casar (D-TX), Cori Bush (D-MO) and Massie were the only lawmakers to vote against the amendment.

In a sweeping step that would significantly constrain the administration, the House voted for an amendment to cut off any further sanctions relief to the Iranian regime — permanently freezing all sanctioned Iranian assets, including a recently released $10 billion from Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran, and preventing the lifting of any sanctions on Iran in any form going forward.

The editors of National Review write:

With Israelis in a grueling fight against a dangerous terrorist enemy, Vice President Kamala Harris was dispatched to Dubai to deliver a scolding of our close ally for the benefit of Arab leaders. Her remarks were morally weak and untethered from reality.

…In remarks in the United Arab Emirates after meetings with leaders of the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and the Hamas-sponsoring Iranian ally Qatar, Harris… reiterated the administration’s "steadfast conviction" that "Israel has a right to defend itself" but then insisted, "Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating."

The reality is that Israel is going above and beyond its responsibilities to minimize civilian casualties given that it is fighting an enemy that operates from hospitals, UN buildings, schools, and residential neighborhoods. Hamas operates this way as a matter of strategy, and among the objectives of that strategy is eliciting just the reaction that it has from Harris.

… Instead of genuflecting before Arab autocrats, the Biden administration should deliver one simple message to Israel in its war against Hamas: Get the job done.

Laura Kelly writes at The Hill:

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it will implement visa bans on Israelis viewed as “extremist settlers” in the West Bank.

… Under the policy, any Israeli citizen deemed to be committing acts of violence or undermining peace and security in the West Bank, particularly against Palestinians, will be banned from entering the US.

International law expert Eugene Kontorovich commented on Twitter:

The new visa policy, when read carefully, is neither limited to settlers or violence. It sanctions anyone "believed to have been involved in undermining peace… or stability" in West Bank. In short, carte blanche or @StateDept to make blacklist of people whose politics it dislikes. And don't expect PA officials responsible for pay-for-slay to wind up on the wrong side of this.

The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Senate Democrats’ plan to send aid to Israel and Ukraine would make it easier for the Palestinian government to pay families of terrorists with American tax dollars.

The $111 billion proposal, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, would provide $75 million to fight "food insecurity" and promote "reconciliation" between Israel and Palestinians. The bill states that the $75 million "may be made available notwithstanding any other provision of law that restricts assistance to foreign countries."

That provision is likely meant to circumvent the 2018 Taylor Force Act, a bipartisan law that prohibits the Palestinian Authority from receiving US aid until it stops compensating the families of terrorists who attack Israel. Republicans say the provision would be a boon to Palestinians, and directly undercuts American foreign policy.

"Every Democrat who votes for this is voting to indirectly fund the Palestinian Authority’s ‘Pay for Slay’ programs," a Senate Republican aide told the Free Beacon. "It’s a slap in the face to our allies in Israel and anyone who has been a victim to radical Islamic terrorism."

JNS: RJC wishes Kevin McCarthy well on retirement, 'one of best friends' to US Jews, Israel

"Speaker McCarthy's tireless efforts flipped the [US] House of Representatives to Republican control, securing a majority that is doggedly working on behalf of the American people," said RJC national chairman Norm Coleman, a former senator of Minnesota.

He called McCarthy "one of the best friends the Jewish community and the State of Israel have ever had."

RJC stands against antisemitism online

Not content with voting against the Republican efforts to fight antisemitism (see first item in this newsletter, above), Congressman Thomas Massie posted an offensive meme to his social media on Tuesday.

The RJC has never shied away from criticizing antisemitism wherever we find it, including among Republicans. RJC CEO Matt Brooks minced no words in responding to Massie:

Several outlets picked up the story of Rep. Massie's tweet and quoted Matt Brooks's strong response. They include: NBC News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, and others.

Weimar America

Victor Davis Hanson warns that, "unless the public demands that their universities enforce on campus the Bill of Rights and the right to move freely in safety, that police enforce laws against mob violence on America's streets and in our schools, and that the United States stops greenlighting mass immigration from anti-Western nations and extending student visas to residents of anti-American, terrorist-supporting, and autocratic Middle East regimes, then in suicidal fashion we are headed for a 1930s nightmare."

The New Antisemitism Is the Oldest Kind

Lance Morrow write that the antisemitism facing American Jews today is not the old "Gentleman's Agreement" kind of prejudice. Instead: "The antisemitism that has poured forth onto the country’s streets and campuses in the autumn of 2023 is a different thing—a reversion to a politics of aggressive, unapologetic hate. The ominous historical regression at work in the latest Jew-hatred takes up the themes of the mid-1930s, the spirit of Hitler’s brown shirts and Kristallnacht. Of course, the new Jew-haters—especially young people on campuses—think of themselves as perfectly virtuous. What is a thousand times worse, they think of their Jew-hatred as righteous. It’s morally fashionable among them."

Enough of this Houthi nonsense

Shoshana Bryen and Stephen Bryen make the case that it's time for the Biden administration to take strong action against Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have attacked commercial vessels and a US warship in recent weeks. The Houthis are clients of Iran, which supports these attacks. That is why President Joe Biden has been coddling them, but it's time for a change in policy.

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