Representative Ron Tusler, who represents a portion of western Manitowoc County, has introduced a bill for the state to adopt a definition of antisemitism after seeing “pro-Palestine encampments taking over a portion of UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee” back in 2023.
Assembly Bill 446 would require state agencies or other bodies in state and local government to use the definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in May 2016.
Rep. Tusler stated the definition during a Wisconsin Assembly committee hearing.
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” he read. “Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward the Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and their property toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
The Harrison Republicans also gave examples of what antisemitism would look like, including the killing of people practicing Judaism or the denial of the Holocaust.
But another example is “holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the State of Israel. Those are just examples of what this would define as antisemitism.”
Rep. Tusler says this definition is a deterrent to hate crimes, not free speech, like some might claim the bill does.
It instead makes sure the definition of antisemitism is defined, saying, “when Jewish students are blamed for Israel’s actions and prevented from entering part of the campus of a public university, there is a definition to look at to determine if the crime was targeted at Jewish people.”
Rep. Tusler finished in the hearing saying that he wants to have this bill passed to help Jewish people, even though he is a Christian, in this small way.
