Monday, July 07, 2025
Antisemitism Bill in NJ Delayed Despite Assurances to Jewish Leaders That It Would Pass
New Jersey has more Jews than all but three states. That's why many expected the Garden State to join 37 other states that have already done what the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey Jason Shames calls "an issue critical to the safety and security of New Jerseyans": ratifying a bill that codifies the definition of antisemitism as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
The New Jersey Assembly had the chance to do this last month, but decided on June 23 to table a vote on the matter. This decision came as a surprise to Jewish community leaders, who were assured by some unnamed lawmakers that the bill would pass, said Robin Freedman-Kramer, CEO of the Jewish Federation of West-Central New Jersey.
"We had been told behind closed doors that there was no doubt that the bill would pass," she said.
Freedman-Kramer said that lawmakers did not give a reason for delaying the vote, although those who opposed its ratification cited the fact that it could effectively criminalize anti-Israel protests and sentiments.
The bill says that the standard definition of antisemitism used by numerous governments across the country and world includes "discriminatory anti-Israel acts that cross the line into anti-Semitism," as well as other antisemitic actions like Holocaust denial. Examples given by the IHRA include drawing comparisons of contemporary Israel policy to that of the Nazis, holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel, denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination by claiming the existence of Israel is racist and accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel or the alleged priorities of worldwide Judaism than to the interests of their own nations.
"We feel like with such a large Jewish population and so much antisemitism that law enforcement needs a definition to work from to be able to say, 'This is antisemitism and this is not antisemitism,' so we're trying to give them the tool that is practically universal and acceptable to use in helping them do their jobs better and protecting this very large Jewish community in our state," Freedman-Kramer said.
The Anti-Defamation League reported in April that there were 719 total incidents of antisemitism in New Jersey in 2024. That was a 13% increase from 2023 and the third-highest total for any state last year.
"Antisemitism isn't going to solve itself. Unless New Jersey legislators decide to take the first step to addressing antisemitism — defining it — they are not part of the solution. Like all groups, Jews must be the ones who define their own experiences with oppression.
Rather, through inaction and delay, the legislators will be part of the problem, abandoning the safety of large segments of New Jersey residents," said Avi Posnick, the Northeast regional director for StandWithUs.
When the vote's delay was announced, Jewish community leaders who were in attendance walked out in protest of the decision.
"When we got there to give what we thought was just going to be a little bit of testimony, before the vote, the chair of the committee announced that they would only be hearing testimony and they would not be voting, which was another slap in the face for us,"
Freedman-Kramer said. "The first time, it was virtual testimony, because they said they could not ensure our safety if we came to Trenton to testify, which was a horrifying thing."
Freedman-Kramer said that much of the opposition the proponents of the bill heard argued that its ratification would limit free speech. She said that's not true because the bill differentiates between what they consider acceptable criticism of Israel and unacceptable criticism. She said that the bill "has nothing to do with whether or not anybody else can live [in Israel] or whether you can criticize the government of Israel."
Freedman-Kramer said that the definitions set forth by the bill are key to bettering the entire public's understanding of the issue.
"It also defines Zionism and anti-Zionism, and when it's OK to criticize Israel and when it's not, and [states] Zionism is part of the Jewish identity. I think, again, this is a definition problem that people don't understand — the definition of Zionism is that our fundamental core belief is that the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people is in Zion, is in Israel," she said.
For the Jewish community of New Jersey, the ratification of this bill in June would have been an important step.
"The brutal murders of two young Jewish leaders after an AJC event in Washington, D.C., followed by the setting on fire of peaceful Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, has amplified the need for this bill," said Rabbi David C. Levy, director of AJC New Jersey. "As we have seen, in their most extreme forms, antisemitic words of hate can be deadly, and as New Jerseyans we have a singular responsibility to call out such hateful speech by clearly defining it. All of which makes this continuing delay in moving this bill forward utterly unacceptable."
