Wisconsin Senate passes IHRA antisemitism bill
(JNS) — The Wisconsin State Senate approved legislation on March 17 requiring state and local agencies to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism when evaluating discriminatory intent.
The bill, AB 446, directs government entities and officials to use the IHRA definition when assessing whether bias played a role in cases involving discrimination based on race, religion, color or national origin, as well as in applying hate-crime penalty enhancers.
The measure explicitly states that agencies cannot infringe on First Amendment rights or conflict with existing anti-discrimination laws.
David Soffer, director of state engagement for the Combat Antisemitism Movement, said this “will make a difference in combating antisemitism.”
“The bill will help identify what is, and importantly, what is not considered antisemitism, and help provide a guide to state institutions to understand best what actions should be treated as antisemitic-driven activity,” he said.
The measure has drawn some opposition from civil-liberties groups, including the ACLU of Wisconsin. It argued that the legislation could blur the line between protected political speech and unlawful discrimination, particularly regarding criticism of Israel and its government.
With Senate approval secured, AB 446 now heads to the governor, where it is expected to be signed into law, marking Wisconsin’s entry into a growing number of states that have adopted the IHRA definition.
U of Florida College Republicans, caught making Nazi salutes, sue school for disbanding chapter
(JTA) — Another group for young Republicans is in hot water over revelations that its members have engaged in antisemitic activity.
The University of Florida disbanded its College Republicans chapter over the weekend following social media posts in which two members reportedly made Nazi salutes, among other actions. In response, the group sued the university, accusing administrators of violating its First Amendment rights.
“The University of Florida punitively deactivated and shut down the UFCR, in response to alleged viewpoints expressed by a member of UFCR, and in an effort to silence the club and chill its future speech,” the lawsuit reads.
The chapter is being supported in its efforts by a national umbrella College Republicans organization, whose president said he supported the students’ “right to free speech.”
UF has 6,500 Jewish undergraduates, the most of any university in the country, according to Hillel International. The revelations concerning its College Republicans group come weeks after a similar controversy involving Florida International University’s chapter, and followed leaked antisemitic group chats among leaders of several statewide Young Republicans chapters, including New York, last year.
In a statement explaining its move to disband the group, UF said members of the College Republicans “engaged in a pattern of conduct that violated its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture.”
All six anti-Israel candidates seen as potential ‘Squad’ members lose Illinois primaries
(JNS) — Six progressive, anti-Israel candidates running for Congress in Illinois, all of whom AIPAC reportedly sees as potential members of the “Squad,” lost their primaries on Mar 17.
Most drew endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America, members of the “Squad” in Congress or a combination of the two.
Marc Rod, of Jewish Insider, wrote on March 16, the day before the primaries, that “a source close to AIPAC says the group’s main goal in Chicago is stopping who it sees as six potential Squad members: Robert Peters, Kina Collins, Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Kat Abughazaleh and Bushra Amiwala.”
Both Ahmed — who drew endorsements from Sens. Sanders and Warren and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez — and Collins lost their primaries.
Ahmed lost to Melissa Bean, a former congresswoman, in the 8th District. Yasmeen Bankole, another AIPAC target, also lost to Bean in the primary.
Collins lost in the 7th District to La Shawn Ford, a state representative.
Robert Peters, a progressive state senator who drew endorsements from Sanders and Warren, placed third behind Cook County commissioner Donna Miller and former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 2nd District.
Kat Abughazaleh, who was endorsed by squad members Reps. Tlaib and Omar, lost to Evanston mayor Daniel Biss in the 9th District. Another loser in the same district was Bushra Amiwala, who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists.
Americans now view Israel more negatively than positively, poll finds
(JTA) — American voters now view Israel more negatively than positively, according to a new poll by NBC News that adds to a growing body of surveys demonstrating eroding support for the country in recent years.
The poll, published on Mar. 16 by NBC News, found that among registered American voters today, 39% view Israel negatively while 32% view it positively.
The survey’s findings marked a decline in positive views held by Americans for Israel since NBC News conducted a similar survey November 2023, which found that 24% viewed the country negatively compared to 47% positively.
The new poll was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3, during the beginning of the current war with Iran, and surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationally.
The poll also found that, beyond declines across the board, views of Israel remain sharply divided along partisan lines, with most Democrats holding negative views and most Republicans expressing positive ones.
Among Democrats, the poll found that 57% viewed Israel negatively, compared to just 13% who viewed the country positively, a significant drop from 34% who held positive views in 2023. For independents, 48% expressed a negative view, while 21% held a positive one.
But positive views of Israel among Republicans also declined between 2023 to 2026, according to the survey, falling from 63% to 54%.
‘Disgusting, unacceptable,’ Vance says of attack at Michigan temple
(JNS) — During an economic speech in Michigan on Mar 18, U.S. Vice President JD Vance noted that the venue was just half an hour away from Temple Israel, the reform congregation targeted by a gunman, who rammed his vehicle into the synagogue on March 12.
“I think that all of us ought to keep these folks in our prayers,” Vance said. “When something happens to any member of our American family, and this particular incident happened to Jewish members of our American family, it is something that all of us have to stand up and say, ‘It’s disgusting. It’s unacceptable, and we are not going to tolerate it in the United States of America.’”
The vice president addressed an audience at a manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
“I hope all the folks from Temple Israel know that we’re praying for them. We’re thinking about them,” Vance said. “From the president of the United States, the vice president, and everybody else, ‘We love you, and we’re proud of how you’ve handled this particular situation,’ because it is tough.”
The vice president also spoke about the synagogue’s head of security who helped stop Ghazali.
“There was a police veteran, who was a security guard by the name of Danny Phillips,” he said. “Danny Phillips was one of the heroes that day. He was injured protecting the people in that community, and I hope all of us will give a big round of applause and a prayer to Danny Phillips.”
