We are witnessing a disturbing global rise in antisemitism that shows up in harassment, vandalism, threats, and increasingly, deadly attacks. No Jewish person, anywhere, should be forced to live in fear.
The Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act (ARPA), introduced by Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Rosa DeLauro, Becca Balint, and Maxwell Frost, offers a meaningful and serious response to this escalating crisis by taking antisemitism seriously while rejecting efforts to weaponize it for political gain.
ARPA strengthens and expands the federal government’s ability to prevent and respond to antisemitism by investing in civil rights enforcement, improving hate crime data collection, and ensuring that Jewish institutions and other vulnerable communities have access to security resources. The bill supports a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to addressing antisemitism, including the creation of a national coordinator to lead this work and a new hate crime reporting center to better track and respond to threats and violence.
Crucially, ARPA also includes clear guardrails. It affirms that combating antisemitism must not come at the expense of free expression or academic freedom. And it explicitly protects constitutionally protected political speech, including criticism of government policies. The bill recognizes what we know to be true: (1) antisemitism is real and deadly, and (2) fighting it effectively requires principled leadership — not fearmongering, censorship, or ideological litmus tests.
In a moment of tragedy and fear, please consider demonstrating your commitment to confronting antisemitism in ways that strengthen democracy, protect civil rights, and uphold the dignity and safety of all communities by cosponsoring the Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act.
