Recent coverage of the proposed legislation requiring Iowa schools, colleges and universities to issue annual reports on incidents of antisemitism presented a range of opinions, including from some Jewish Iowans who oppose the bill. Respectfully, we believe it is important to be equally clear: The organized Jewish community in Iowa supports this bipartisan effort.
As the executive directors of the Jewish Federations serving Greater Des Moines and the Quad Cities, we work every day with the people in our community, including Jewish students attending various schools and universities throughout the state and their families. Antisemitism is not abstract. It is real, it is rising, and it affects how safe Jews feel in classrooms and on campuses across our state. Requiring consistent reporting is a practical step that will help institutions understand problems, educate their students and faculties, and respond appropriately.
This legislation has strong bipartisan backing and support from allies such as the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. It approaches antisemitism not as a political weapon but as an educational opportunity.
Much of the debate has centered on the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition. That definition is already incorporated into Iowa law. The IHRA is an international body in whose formation the United States played an integral role, and its definition has been endorsed by both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Contrary to claims in the article, the IHRA examples do not prohibit criticism of Israel. They make clear that criticism comparable to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic. What crosses the line is denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination, or singling out the world’s only Jewish state for demonization or double standards. Furthermore, this bill does nothing to punish speech but would rather help identify when speech crosses the line into antisemitism.
Every community includes a diversity of views. At the same time, the broader public rightly looks to established communal organizations for where the community stands. On this issue, Iowa’s Jewish community is clear: we support this bill.
Jarad Bernstein is executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines. Allan Ross is executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa’s Jewish community supports antisemitism reporting bill | Opinion
Reporting by Jarad Bernstein and Allan Ross, Guest columnists / Des Moines Register
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