June 10, 2025
Ms. Van Duyne submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
Condemning the surge in antisemitic violence in the United States and reaffirming support for the safety and civil rights of Jewish Americans.
Whereas, since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, antisemitic incidents have surged across the United States;
Whereas while Americans have the right to express political beliefs peacefully, an extremist fringe within the pro-Palestinian movement has crossed a dangerous line resorting to violence, intimidation, and threats aimed at Jewish Americans and their allies;
Whereas what began as protest has, in some cases, escalated into hate-motivated crimes, firebombings, and deadly assaults;
Whereas this pattern has created a chilling climate of fear for Jewish communities and threatens the basic principles of civil society;
Whereas the United States is founded on the principles of freedom, safety, and equal protection under the law for all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity;
Whereas the Jewish community in the United States has been the target of multiple acts of violence and intimidation since late 2023, including—
(1)
the April 13, 2025, arson attempt at the Pennsylvania Governor’s residence, in which a man threw Molotov cocktails at the home of Governor Josh Shapiro, a Jewish American, while the Governor and his family were inside, and the suspect expressed anti-Israel sentiments and referenced Palestine in a 911 call following the attack;
(2)
the May 21, 2025, shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where a gunman, Elias Rodriguez, opened fire and killed two Israeli Embassy staffers, reportedly shouting Free Palestine
as he was apprehended;
(3)
the June 1, 2025, firebombing of a Jewish vigil in Boulder, Colorado, being investigated by the FBI as an act of domestic terrorism, where Mohamed Sabry Soliman attacked peaceful attendees of a rally held in support of Israeli hostages using Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower, leaving at least eight people hospitalized; and
(4)
the October 2023 assault at Harvard University, in which two pro-Palestinian students, who were both charged with assault and battery, and one of whom was later awarded a Harvard Law fellowship to work with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization many have accused of harboring antisemitic views, physically confronted and shouted down a Jewish student during a protest;
Whereas colleges and universities across the country have allowed, encouraged, and empowered violent, pro-Palestinian organizations and actions on their campuses that have led to numerous threats of violence against Jewish students, civil rights violations, vandalism, and destruction of property, which only serves to indoctrinate a new generation of Jew-haters and incite others to take violent actions against Jews;
Whereas the pro-Palestinian movement is intertwined with known terrorist supporting organizations like CAIR and Students for Justice in Palestine, which is heavily funded by foreign sources who support Hamas with the mission of bringing chaos to everywhere it operates;
Whereas, in a hearing held by the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives on November 15, 2023, entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing
, testimony was heard regarding how two groups, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a campus group that receives funding and training from AMP, are linked to individuals who previously worked for nonprofits that were shuttered by Federal authorities or sued in civil court because they provided financial or material support to Hamas; and
Whereas antisemitic attacks and harassment have also included vandalism of synagogues, doxxing of Jewish students on campuses, disruption of Jewish religious services, and threats against Jewish faculty, businesses, and public officials: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
unequivocally condemns the rising wave of antisemitic violence occurring under the pretense of political protest, including recent deadly attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions;
(2)
affirms that while peaceful protest is protected under the First Amendment, violence, intimidation, and support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas constitute criminal conduct and must be treated accordingly;
(3)
supports full investigations and prosecutions of all individuals involved in antisemitic violence, and affirms support for victims, their families, and the broader Jewish community;
(4)
urges academic and civic institutions to reject all forms of antisemitism, refrain from legitimizing individuals or groups that incite violence, and foster safe environments for Jewish students and faculty; and
(5)
reaffirms the foundational American values of religious liberty, equal protection, and civil peace, and declares that antisemitism, in any form, has no place in the United States.