Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupied the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to demand a ceasefire in Gaza in November 2023. Getty / AFP
Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupied the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to demand a ceasefire in Gaza in November 2023. Getty / AFP
Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupied the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to demand a ceasefire in Gaza in November 2023. Getty / AFP
Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace occupied the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to demand a ceasefire in Gaza in November 2023. Getty / AFP

Why is the US bill on anti-Semitism so controversial?


Ellie Sennett
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

As Washington seeks to crack down on campus anti-Gaza war protests, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that expands the definition of anti-Semitism.

Senators were on Thursday reportedly running a “hotline” to field internal discussion on the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which passed the House of Representatives in a 320-91 vote.

The bill would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, which includes criticism of Israel and Zionism.

The development is largely seen as a response to the wave of campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza, in which the debate around whether “anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism” has been at the fore of American discourse.

The bill's lead sponsor in the Senate, Republican Tim Scott, celebrated its passing in the House as “a momentous step towards rooting out anti-Semitic hate and protecting the rights of Jewish students on college campuses across America”.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has led the Republicans in announcing a party-wide effort to crack down on anti-Semitism in response to the national protests, which bi-partisan members of Congress have sought to portray as anti-Semitic.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in US history, has not commented on when he would bring the bill to the Senate floor for a final vote.

Mr Schumer recently made headlines for calling for elections in Israel over claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace. It was a rare breach from Mr Schumer in a relationship that has long touted that there is “no daylight” between Israel and the US.

The bill has warranted significant criticism from civil liberties groups.

Pro-Palestine protests continue at US universities – in pictures

The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter urging Congress to oppose the bill ahead of the vote, saying the definition is “overbroad” and “enshrining it into regulation would chill the exercise” of free speech in the US.

“Criticism of Israel and its policies is political speech, squarely protected by the First Amendment,” the ACLU wrote in its letter to Congress.

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and a Jewish-American, was among the minority of House members to vote against the bill, saying it “fails to effectively address the very real rise of anti-Semitism”.

Progressive Jewish American groups such as Americans for Peace Now have spoken out against the legislation, pointing out that even the lead drafter of the IHRA, Kenneth Stern, has warned against “using it as a cudgel against the millions of Americans, including many Jewish Americans, who object to the Netanyahu government’s decisions and actions”.

“Anti-Semitism is the hatred of Jews,” said APN's chief executive, Hadar Susskind. “Unfortunately, one doesn’t need to look far to find it these days. But the supporters of this bill are looking in the wrong places. They aren’t interested in protecting Jews.

“They are interested in supporting right-wing views and narratives on Israel and shutting down legitimate questions and criticisms by crying 'anti-Semite' at everyone, including Jews, who oppose the Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich government,” Mr Susskind added in a statement.

How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register. 

4) The campaign uses the hashtag  #donate_hope

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AT4 Ultimate, as tested

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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

ASHES FIXTURES

1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27 
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Ferrari
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Day 1 results:

Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)

Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Our legal advisor

Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.

Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

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Updated: May 02, 2024, 6:46 PM`