One can debate the efficacy of policies pursued by the State of Israel, but few can deny that antisemitism is a major component of its most radical critics. The International Holocaust Remembrance Association's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism includes such attacks, which Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) seeks to embrace in a recent resolution.
Part of the motivation for the resolution comes from the fact that the Biden Administration's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism does not fully include action against extreme criticism of Israel, despite the lengthy list of actions the Administration recommends.
In his press release, Sen. Scott stated, "It sickens me that our Jewish communities have faced growing threats in recent years, fueled by dangerous and hateful rhetoric."
"It sickens me that our Jewish communities have faced growing threats in recent years, fueled by dangerous and hateful rhetoric. In Florida and across America, we must continue to stand with the Jewish community and fight against antisemitism anywhere it is found – and this resolution makes clear that ANY attacks or hateful rhetoric about Jewish people or the State of Israel is labeled what it is: antisemitism," Scott added.
Prominent critics of Israel such as Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), both part of the progressive "Squad," have invoked antisemitic tropes in their statements against the Jewish State.
For example, in 2019 Rep. Omar suggested the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was paying members of Congress to support Israel, saying, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." Rep. Omar has also voiced support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is often considered a vehicle for antisemitism. In 2021, Omar accused Israel of apartheid and ethnic cleansing after Israeli forces retaliated against a Hamas rocket attack.
More recently, Rep. Tlaib said in September that one could not simultaneously be progressive and a supporter of Israel. Tlaib similarly accused Israel of apartheid in the same statement, which earned fierce criticism from Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).
