B’nai B’rith International submitted testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, in advance of a hearing on anti-Semitism being held today. The hearing is focused on confronting the rise in anti-Semitic domestic terrorism in the U.S.

Our testimony notes: “The need for practical and effective strategies to combat and defeat this pathology is still crucial.  To this end, B’nai B’rith has called for the appointment of a special coordinator on anti-Semitism in the United States, to be situated at the Department of Justice…This position would complement the work of Elan Carr, the State Department’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, whose mandate covers manifestations of anti-Semitism outside the United States and who does outstanding work in spotlighting the problem around the globe.”

B’nai B’rith’s statement advocated for several legislative action items. These included the passage of the Combating BDS Act, which would allow state and local governments to penalize entities that engage in anti-Israel economic boycotts, and the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which would provide the Department of Education with a concrete definition of anti-Semitism (including anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism) to determine whether federal anti-discrimination laws have been violated in educational programs and activities.

“Whether it occurs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or Warsaw, Poland, anti-Semitism must be confronted aggressively.  The responsibility to do so falls squarely on all of us, together with our allies and all people of conscience.”

The statement also called for the passage of bills relating to national security. The National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act would make it easier for the FBI to gather hate crimes data from state and local law enforcement and expands the federal government’s role in prosecuting hate crimes. H.R. 3106, the Domestic Terrorism DATA Act, would appropriate $2 million annually to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for the preparation of annual reports on domestic and international terrorism.

B’nai B’rith’s testimony emphasized the need for increased Holocaust education through the “Never Again” Education Act, which would allocate donated funds to schools through the Holocaust Education Assistance Program.  

Read the full testimony here.