Meanwhile in New Jersey
Mazel Tov to the GOP
Friends,
I had this post in draft since yesterday morning, and, with the news coming out of NYC, it almost feels “trite.” But it also tracks. We are not seen, not heard, and not protected even in the cities and states where we have built our strongest communities. My heart is shattered into a million pieces today, and I’m not sure when I will be able to say much more about the end of American Jewry and the Democratic party as we knew it. I’m not sure how much more there even is to say.
But anyway, this was Monday.
Back in May, I wrote about how the left and right teamed up to kill the American Antisemitism Act. And I mentioned what was happening with its iteration in New Jersey:
The New Jersey “IHRA bill” is sponsored by more than half of the bipartisan New Jersey Assembly. But, due to pushback, it is stalled and will likely remain so forever.
Why is there so much pushback? Again, the belief that it would “make criticism of Israel illegal,” as I have heard many people say. This is nonsense. But, at this point, I feel like the IHRA bill has as much chance of passing in New Jersey as I have of passing the Air Force fighter pilot exam.
Well, I am still not an Air Force fighter pilot, and, as predicted, the IHRA bill appears to have officially died a horrifying, embarrassing death. And Elvis on the toilet death, if you will.
One year ago, the Senate Committee sat through 10 hours of testimony on Zoom, as it was deemed too dangerous to hold the meeting in person, and it was one of the most painful things I have ever witnessed. Teenagers, college students, parents, and the children of Holocaust survivors described terrifying, recent, and extremely real antisemitic attacks all the while being heckled, jeered, and eye-rolled.
During the first testimonies by Jewish legislators who spoke about their own personal experiences – before the moderators were able to get control of the muting – people called out profanities and “Intifada!” during their speeches.
I watched hours of textbook antisemitic tropes, lies, and wild misinformation about a bill that would not incriminate free speech or stop criticism of the Israeli government.
“There’s no proof of these antisemitism incidents - this is designed to protect the Israel lobby.”
“There’s no such thing as antisemitism because Arabs are Semites.”
“These laws were designed to pacify angry Zionists.”
“This will criminalize talking about Israel.”
The rantings of a Neturei Karta rabbi who does not believe that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination “because only God can restore Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel by bringing the Messiah.”
A man who continued to give enthusiastic thumbs down, the finger, and other angry gestures to every Jewish speaker.
But, it passed, 4-1, and then dwindled on the vine of the Assembly for another year because everyone was too afraid to touch it before the primary.
Then, after the incumbents won their primaries with flying colors, advocates of the bill were assured it would be put to committee in the final weeks of the session.
As part of this agreement, the bill omitted adherence to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as it stands alone as a working document. The Speaker was concerned about having a bill tied to an external working definition. Fair enough! So, instead, the bill laid out the key points from the definition, including examples which clearly state that it is not antisemitic to criticize Israel, its leadership, or the war.
What it does say is that it is antisemitic to accuse Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel than to the interests of their own nations; deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor; apply double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation; and hold Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
Even if those things are technically considered antisemitic, they will still not be illegal to say, write, or feel. According to the Supreme Court, hate speech is still free speech. And this bill, in particular, underlines that free speech remains protected.
Nothing contained in the bill would be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or paragraph 6 of Article I of the New Jersey State Constitution. Nothing in the bill would be construed to conflict with local, State, or federal anti-discrimination laws or regulations.
IHRA was developed as a tool for defining hate speech. If someone yells, “you are committing genocide!” at a Jewish stranger and then punches them in the face, we can then define this as an antisemitic hate crime versus just a random act of violence. It’s really that simple.
The IHRA definition has been adopted by 43 countries, 37 U.S. states, and countless organizations, counties, and municipalities.
But not New Jersey.
Last week, the bill was scheduled for a hearing with the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee. Action alerts went out to folks on both sides of the issue, though the Jewish community was woefully disorganized and unprepared, with alerts going out at the actual last minute.
“On Monday morning, dozens of members of the public had arrived in Trenton to testify (many of whom rearranged work schedules to attend), demonstrators protested outside the statehouse in remarkable heat, and the bill’s sponsors were ready to finally see a vote after more than a year of inaction.
Instead, committee chair Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon) surprised the audience when she announced there would not be a vote on the legislation, further driving a wedge between Democratic lawmakers and some Jewish communities that could prove consequential in an election year.
Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee on Monday that he believes there has been “ample time for members to debate the merits as well as the disadvantages of this bill or any other bill.” He told the New Jersey Globe that he didn’t know why a vote was not held.
“I’m a bit taken aback by the decision of the chairwoman and the speaker to hold the bill for discussion only,” Schaer told the panel. “As prime sponsor of this bill, it would seem to me that such a decision on behalf of our leadership would have included discussion with us, rather than showing up Monday morning to discover what it is.”
Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity said Speaker Craig Coughlin’s office had told some Assembly members that there would not be a vote on the bill on Friday. But several committee members, as well as the bill’s sponsors, only learned of that decision Monday morning.
Assemblyman Mike Inganamort (R-Chester Twp), the primary GOP sponsor on the bill, expressed similar disappointment.
“There was nothing today that was not known last week when the bill on anti-Semitism, for which I am a prime sponsor, was scheduled for a vote,” Inganamort wrote in a social media post. “To make the public and legislators travel to Trenton, and then cancel the vote in real time, is a slap in the face to everyone who worked on this issue, those who support it, and even those who oppose it.”
And that’s exactly the thing: what was the purpose of this? What was the goal of this sham hearing? To drive us all to exhaustion, putting us at each other's throats?
Why can’t they have the courage to at least vote on the bill? And if they vote no, they vote no. Just make up your mind and deal with the consequences - this is what it means to govern.
We finally had an opportunity to move forward. Nothing would have drastically changed. Opponents of Israel would still have the ability to protest and boycott and say whatever they pleased. But if a crime was committed with antisemitic intent, we would at least be able to name it. Most of all, we would feel seen and heard.
But our community was not even heard in this hearing. Because after years of this, they had finally had enough and walked out.
“...Even with support from some of the state’s top Democrats and co-sponsorship from 56 of the chamber’s 80 members, the bill has languished, alienating some Jewish community members who hope to see the bill passed from the Democratic lawmakers who haven’t cleared the way.
That disapproval manifested into action Monday morning, when more than a dozen proponents of the bill walked out of the hearing in dismay after the announcement that there would be no vote. The first testifier, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey CEO Jason Shames, led the walkout, saying they would return when a vote was actually conducted.
“I am no longer going to read the remarks that I prepared, given the last-minute change to go from vote to discussion,” Shames told the panel. “I will express my complete frustration and feelings of disrespect regarding the fact that this process has not moved forward. You know the statistics, you know exactly what’s happening with Jews being harassed on the street all over the place just for being Jewish, not just for support of Israel.”
With that, a couple of dozen attendees stood to leave, including a couple who were seated at microphones and prepared to testify.
The walkout meant the hearing belonged largely to advocates protesting the legislation, including leaders of CAIR, local imams and Orthodox Jewish rabbis (note to NJGLOBE: CALL THEM NETEURI KARTA!), Palestinian Americans, several Jewish activists, and a leader from the ACLU of New Jersey.”
Great. Sounds like a super productive morning in Trenton. By all means, these people should be heard - at a hearing with a vote like you promised!
But instead, all this served to do was embarrass the bill sponsors, including our Jewish legislators, and aggravate people who feel passionately about both sides of this issue.
But guess who this farce benefits more than anyone? Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciatarelli.
What does Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill have to do with this? Well, technically nothing. But the candidate is the party and the party is the candidate. And Speaker Craig Coughlin just handed Jack the Jewish vote on a silver platter.
And, I mean, he didn’t exactly endear the pro-Palestinian activists with this shit either.
Everyone is furious, everyone is frustrated, and everyone is exhausted.
An absolute shonda.
Related - and here is all I will say about NYC for now.
24 hours later, Jack got a magnificent gift in the form of Zohran Mamdani. There is so much more to say about this, but I think, most pertinent to me right now, is how little of a fuck I give in this moment. Look, I don’t think this guy actually gives a shit about us either. And I’m not going to vote for him.
But, if Jews don’t count, why should we keep fighting for people who don’t fight for us? I’m Tikkun-Olamed to death. And, frankly, I don’t trust anyone to so much as hold an elevator door open anymore. We only have ourselves. And maybe that is enough.
Politicians can lose my number. But, Jews, I am here for you. Day or night. I love you so much. And I am so, so proud of us.
(Not the “as a Jews.” As a former low-key “as a Jew,” myself, no one is more responsible for this than you. Wake up.)
And Israel becomes even more important!
Breaks my heart.