Ep. 214: The Antisemitism Awareness Act
from So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
by FIRE
Published: Tue May 07 2024
Show Notes
On May 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act by a vote of 320 to 91. Proponents of the law say it is necessary to address anti-Semitic discrimination on college campuses. Opponents argue it threatens free speech.
Who’s right?
Kenneth Stern was the lead drafter of the definition of anti-Semitism used in the act. But he said the definition was never meant to punish speech. Rather, it was drafted to help data collectors write reports.
Stern is the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate. His most recent book is titled, “TheConflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debate.”
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
Introducing Ken Stern
7:59 Can hate speech codes work?
Off-campus hate speech codes
Drafting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition
How should administrators judge anti-Semitism without the IHRA definition?
Is there a rise in unlawful discrimination on campuses today?
Opposition to the Antisemitism Awareness Act
Defenses of the Antisemitism Awareness Act
Enshrinement of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism in state laws
Is the IHRA definition internally consistent?
How will the Senate vote?
Outro
Show Notes
IHRA definition of anti-Semitism