The second reason Islamophobia and antisemitism are not equivalent forms of discrimination at this moment is because when Zionist organizations redefine antisemitism to include criticism of Israeli policies and the US government, and when US institutions adopt this redefinition, the result is an inflation of antisemitism and the intensification of anti-Palestinian racism. On May 1, 2024, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism71—the new definition of antisemitism put forth by the IHRA. The US bill purports to combat antisemitism, but if passed by the Senate, it will further chill advocacy for Palestinian rights and enshrine anti-Palestinian racism in US law. Ultimately, if, as the IHRA definition implies, any expression of support for Palestinian rights is an assault on Jewish life, then the US government and Zionist organizations that embrace it are actually promoting anti-Palestinian racism.

QUESTION: Whether the IHRA definition adopted by the House in 2024 will pass the Senate and its practical legal effects on Palestinian rights advocacy is worth tracking.

Evelyn Alsultany, Antisemitism and Islamophob…, loc. 30