Wiesenthal Center Official To Judiciary Committee: Failure Of US Department Of Education To Prosecute A Single Anti-Semitism Case Is Intolerable And Dangerous; Urges House Passage Of Anti-Semitism Awareness Act

November 7, 2017

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Tuesday. He urged the Committee to approve and send the “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act” (ASAA) for a full vote of the House of Representatives. 

During his testimony before the committee and during nearly three hours of Q and A between committee members and witnesses, Rabbi Cooper emphasized that “the major leadership of the American community, from AIPAC and Federations to the Wiesenthal Center, American Jewish Committee and the ADL are united in urging Congress to adopt the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism. This would provide the US Education Department, University and other campus officials the context to take action on behalf of our students who have suffered anti-Semitic attacks, intimidation and bullying.”

Rabbi Cooper added, “It is telling the Department of Education’s Title VI program has not adjudicated a single case involving anti-Semitism. This is an intolerable and dangerous situation.”

The senior Wiesenthal Center official was not optimistic that today’s hearing would yield the desired results, adding, “if House Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte does not move the legislation forward, we will pursue other avenues to pass the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act. Our students and community deserve equal protection under the law.”

Video from the  full hearing can be seen at https://judiciary.house.gov/hearing/examining-anti-semitism-college-campuses/. Rabbi Cooper’s testimony begins at 49:41.

For more information, please contact the Center's Communications Department, 310-553-9036. Join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

###