The U.S. would become a more active participant in the fight to prevent what appears to be a rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe under a bill that passed the House unanimously recently.
Co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism introduced the bill, known as the Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2017.
“It’s shocking that in the 21st century, anti-Semitism is gaining strength within our borders and across Europe," the task force said in a press release. "Effectively confronting this problem requires a better understanding of its scope and depth. This bill would require the U.S. government – and encourage our global partners – to continue to take a hard look at anti-Semitism in Europe, provide a thorough assessment of trends, and outline what the United States and our partners are doing to meet this challenge."
The bill aims to continue the work of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the 2004 Global Anti-Semitism Review Act, which requires a State Department envoy to give an annual evaluation on the state of anti-Semitism in the world.
Along with increasing the reporting of anti-Semitism and moving the United States to work more closely with Europe, the bill also aims to fight anti-Semitism in the United States as well as guarantee that European and Jewish communities remain safe.
Members of task force also include Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Kay Granger (R-TX) and Marc Veasey (D-TX). The group said it hopes the measure receives the same kind of support from the Senate and the president.
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