Thank you for your interest in advocating alongside AJC for the State of Georgia to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)'s Working Definition of Antisemitism.
AJC Atlanta will be in touch with you to discuss next steps. Please find relevant information on H.B.30 and the IHRA Definition below.
Why Do We Need to Address Antisemitism?
Antisemitism is at crisis levels and getting worse, including in Georgia. While Jews only comprise about 2% of the U.S. population, they suffer approximately 60% of all religiously-motivated hate crimes. In 2022, antisemitic incidents increased by 63% in Georgia compared to 2021 and after previous yearly increases.
Despite the demonstrable prevalence of antisemitic incidents, one-third of all Americans say they have never even heard the word antisemitism, or at the very least, do not know what it means. That means that many Georgians, including public officials, may not know what is considered antisemitic or not when an incident occurs.
Read more:
Why Do We Need to Define Antisemitism?
We cannot fight antisemitism if public officials cannot recognize and define it. The bill is necessary because Jewish identity is multifaceted, incorporating aspects of religion, culture, national origin, and ethnicity. Without a standard definition, it is easy for antisemites to hide behind ambiguity, committing antisemitic acts, and then claiming it was not antisemitism because it was not based on a particular characteristic. Similarly, without a definition, public officials who are not familiar with antisemitism may not recognize an incident for what it is and therefore not adequately respond.
Read more:
- Forms of Antisemitism
- AJC's Translate Hate Glossary
- A Guide to Recognizing When Anti-Israel Actions Become Antisemitic
Why the IHRA Definition?
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism is the world consensus. It has already been adopted by over 1,100 separate governments, NGOs, and other key institutions. The IHRA Definition has been adopted and used by various departments of the federal government and both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. It has already been adopted by 29 states and the District of Columbia, either through proclamation, executive order, or legislation. This specific definition also has broad support from almost every major American Jewish organization.
Read more:
- 5 Common Questions About the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
- Tough Questions on the IHRA Definition
- Adoption of the Definition in the U.S.
- Adopting of the Definition Internationally
Why does H.B.30/H.B.144 only reference the IHRA Definition and not include it in the bill text?
Rather than including the whole text of the IHRA Definition in the bill, H.B.30/144 adopts a static definition to ensure that the full, recognized definition is what is actually adopted and utilized. This reduces the likelihood that the definition will be improperly modified, which would alter the meaning and efficacy. Adopting the IHRA Definition by reference also protects its uniformity, guaranteeing Georgia is aligned with the U.S. government and other U.S. states, among others, all of whom have similarly embraced the IHRA Definition simply by reference.
Additionally, there is precedent for referencing a third-party definition in Georgia code. State law already refers to national associations for certain rules and to existing federal regulations, all without problems.
What H.B.30/144 does:
- H.B.30/144 ensures proper assessment and response to criminal conduct and discriminatory incidents motivated by antisemitism.
- H.B.30/144 helps to implement valid monitoring and enforcement.
- H.B.30/144 can support officials in applying the state’s existing laws protecting against unlawful conduct toward Jews, therefore strengthening Georgia’s hate crimes law.
- H.B.30/144 ensures that incidents of antisemitic hate and bias are addressed equally under the law compared to other types of hate and bias.
- H.B.30/144 assists public institutions to stay in compliance with federal civil rights obligations.
Valid monitoring, informed analysis, and effective policy-making all require uniform definitions. Georgia has a responsibility to protect their citizens from acts of hate and bigotry motivated by discriminatory animus—including antisemitism—and must be given the tools to do so. This bill reaffirms that hate has no place in our state.
What H.B.30/144 does NOT do:
- H.B.30/144 does not revise any existing anti-discrimination policies; it simply defines a term and ensures that existing laws will be consistently applied.
- H.B.30/144 does not limit or chill freedom of speech or expression. With this bill, anyone can still say whatever they want, however hateful, about Jews or Israel. Antisemitic and anti-Israel speech would remain constitutionally protected.
- The bill explicitly states, “Nothing contained in this bill is to be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
- This definition would only be used when government agencies are responding to an incident that is already illegal. It simply assists officials in determining intent.
- H.B.30/144 does not create any new protected class, enhance punishment, regulate, or restrict academic freedom. It provides guidance on how to apply existing laws.
- H.B.30/144 does not provide any special treatment for Jews. This bill is not about establishing Jewish exceptionalism. It is about providing clarity to what is defined as antisemitism.
The importance of having a clear definition is not unique to antisemitism. Should other groups facing hateful bias find the need to implement a uniform definition to clarify what is and is not bias-motivated conduct, such concerns should be similarly addressed.
Who Supports H.B.30/144?
H.B.30/144 is supported by a near-unanimous majority of the Georgia Jewish community and other communities who recognize the dangers of antisemitism. While the Jewish community is not a monolith and holds diverse opinions on many issues, few issues exist that the Jewish community agrees with more than the need to adopt IHRA. Here are just some of the local organizations supporting the bill, representing tens of thousands of Jewish Georgians across our state:
- American Jewish Committee
- Anti-Defamation League
- Atlanta Jewish Academy
- Atlanta Jews of Color Council
- Atlanta Jewish Community Relations Council
- Atlanta Israel Coalition
- B'nai B'rith International - Atlanta Lodge
- Center for Combating Antisemitism
- Chabad Decatur
- Chabad of North Fulton
- Congregation Anshi S'fard
- Congregation Beth Jacob
- Congregation Beth Shalom
- Congregation Beth Tefillah
- Congregation Dor Tamid
- Congregation Etz Chaim
- Congregation Ohr HaTorah
- Congregation Or VeShalom
- Congregation Shearith Israel
- The Epstein School
- Hadassah: The Women's Zionist Organization of America
- HemShech: Holocaust Survivors Family & Friends
- Hillels of Georgia, including Emory Hillel, Georgia Tech Hillel, and UGA Hillel
- Israeli-American Council for Action
- Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta
- Jewish Moms of Atlanta
- Jewish Student Union of Atlanta
- National Council for Synagogue Youth - Atlanta Chapter
- National Jewish Advocacy Center
- Netzach Israel
- New Toco Shul
- Orthodox Union - Atlanta Chapter
- Savannah Jewish Federation
- Simon Wiesenthal Center
- StandWithUs Southeast
- Students Supporting Israel
- The Temple
- Temple Emanu-El
- Torah Day School of Atlanta
- The Weber School
- Tzedek Georgia
- World Jewish Congress
- Zachor Shoa
