The Tower

A law designed to fight on campus anti-Semitism passed as part of South Carolina’s state budget late Thursday, The Post and Courier reported.

The law was inserted into the budget by Sen. Larry Grooms. Gov. Henry McMaster, who supported the law, is expected to sign the budget.

Last year, a bill defining anti-Semitism was introduced by Rep. Alan Clemmons and overwhelmingly passed the state’s House of Representatives, but passage was blockedby a single senator who opposed the law.

In a statement hailing the passage of the law, the Louis D. Brandeis Center credited South Carolina with being the first state to pass a law “that will help tackle the rising anti-Semitism plaguing U.S. college campuses.”

The budget, including the language defining anti-Semitism, overwhelmingly passed South Carolina’s Senate 37 – 4 on Thursday and its House of Representatives by a margin of 116 – 2 last month.

“There has been an alarming increase in anti-Semitism nationwide, and particularly on our nation’s college campuses,” the Brandeis Center’s Director of Legal Initiatives Aviva Vogelstein explained. “This bill gives South Carolina the tools to protect Jewish students’ and all South Carolina students’ right to a learning environment free of unlawful discrimination.”

Joseph Sabag of the Israel Allies Foundation provided further context for the law, “This bill gives educators a uniform tool for ascertaining intent, similar to the use of confessions in criminal proceedings. It will ensure authorities consider the federal government’s definition of anti-Semitism in instances when it is necessary to determine the intent of constitutionally unprotected activities, including assault, battery, harassment, intimidation and vandalism. And it will protect against unlawful suppression of speech to ensure that all views can be fully expressed.”

The annual FBI hate crime report shows that anti-Semitic hate crimes outnumber all other religious based hate crimes combined. The problem appears to be more acute in academia. A 2014 study showed that 54% of college students witnessed anti-Semitism on campus. A study the following year indicated that the number of Jewish students on campus experiencing anti-Semitism had increased 75%. Meanwhile, the ADL reported that in 2017 anti-Semitic incidents had increased by 89% on college campuses in the United States.

“Anti-Semitism, and the forces that have led to its resurgence, are not representative of the values of South Carolina,” Clemmons, one of the leaders of the legislative effort said. “Yesterday, Holocaust Memorial Day, is the culmination of a two-year legislative effort to respond to the FBI’s findings that Jewish students are the mostly likely of all minority groups to suffer hate crimes on campus. Thanks to Sen. Larry Grooms’ leadership in the Senate, South Carolina has taken the ultimate legislative step in codifying a uniform definition of anti-Semitism for state supported institutions of higher education that must be applied to illegal acts and breaches of university policy to determine anti-Semitic intent. This measure is an important step forward in protecting the civil rights of Jewish students. As we remember the millions of Jewish lives taken in the Holocaust and the dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents we see happening in the U.S. and around the world, I’m hopeful that South Carolina will be the first of many states to take such action to discourage anti-Semitism on campus and to appropriately discipline those who engage in such hateful activity.”

Grooms added, “South Carolina legislators are incredibly disturbed by the increase of anti-Semitism around our nation and particularly the threats our young people face daily on campus.  We all agree this must stop.  All students deserve the same protections of their rights, and our colleges must address all discriminatory conduct, including anti-Semitism, with equal rigor and condemnation.  My colleague Alan Clemmons introduced a bill to provide our state’s colleges with the crucial tools to fight discrimination of Jewish students, and I am pleased my Senate colleagues approved it with overwhelming bipartisan support.”

JNS News

South Carolina became the first state to pass legislation to protect students from anti-Semitic acts.

The State Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation, H3643, in a 37-4 vote on Thursday as part of a larger spending package. The bill passed the State House of Representatives in March in a 116-2 vote. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has expressed support for the bill and is expected to sign it into law.

“Anti-Semitism, and the forces that have led to its resurgence, are not representative of the values of South Carolina,” said State Representative Alan Clemmons, who authored the legislation.

The South Carolina bill will help break down the barriers in the fight against anti-Semitism by providing educators and administrators with a clear and uniform definition to recognize anti-Jewish bigotry, according to the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law.

“There has been an alarming increase in anti-Semitism nationwide, and particularly on our nation’s college campuses,” stated LDB’s director of legal initiatives Aviva Vogelstein. “This bill gives South Carolina the tools to protect Jewish students’ and all South Carolina students’ right to a learning environment free of unlawful discrimination.”

The definition included in the bill is similar to the one used by the U.S. State Department and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism that has been adopted by 31 countries.

That definition states: “Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The legislation comes amid an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States and on college campuses.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in America increased by 60 percent in 2017, and nearly doubled on American college campuses. The same report found that anti-Semitic incidents at non-Jewish elementary, middle and high schools increased 106 percent in the same period.

“We have been dismayed by the rise of anti-Semitism, including harassment, intimidation and vandalism against Jewish students,” StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein said in a statement.

“This bill adopts the State Department definition of anti-Semitism and gives law enforcement an important tool for protecting students against unlawful acts motivated by prejudice,” she said. “With a clear definition of anti-Jewish bigotry, law enforcement and administrators will be better equipped to prosecute and prevent hate crimes.”

The Jewish Press

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) today applauded the South Carolina General Assembly for being the first state to pass legislation that will help tackle the rising anti-Semitism plaguing U.S. college campuses.

The legislation, which was included as part of a larger state spending package, was approved late yesterday in the Senate by a vote of 37-4, and the House of Representatives passed it by a vote of 116-2 in March. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has already endorsed the anti-Semitism measure, and has committed to sign it into law.

“There has been an alarming increase in anti-Semitism nationwide, and particularly on our nation’s college campuses,” stated LDB’s Director of Legal Initiatives Aviva Vogelstein. “This bill gives South Carolina the tools to protect Jewish students’ and all South Carolina students’ right to a learning environment free of unlawful discrimination. Just as two dozen states followed South Carolina’s lead on legislation condemning the movement to boycott certain countries, we are hoping this momentous step will result in another national wave to, once and for all, begin defeating rising anti-Semitism.” LDB representatives testified at multiple South Carolina hearings on the bill and have been working closely with state legislators to ensure passage.

Joseph Sabag of the Israel Allies Foundation added, “This bill gives educators a uniform tool for ascertaining intent, similar to the use of confessions in criminal proceedings. It will ensure authorities consider the federal government’s definition of anti-Semitism in instances when it is necessary to determine the intent of constitutionally unprotected activities, including assault, battery, harassment, intimidation and vandalism. And it will protect against unlawful suppression of speech to ensure that all views can be fully expressed.”

South Carolina was the first state to pass legislation prohibiting state governments from contracting with entities that support the discriminating practice of boycotts on the basis of national origin. Since South Carolina passed its bill, H. 3583, 24 states have passed similar laws.

According to the FBI’s Hate Crime Report, Jewish hate crime victims, outnumber victims of all other religious groups combined. And the problem is most serious on college campuses. A Brandeis Center/Trinity College study found that 54% of Jewish students reported experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitism in 2014. A Brandeis University study found that by 2015, the number of Jewish students experiencing anti-Semitism spiked to nearly 75%. And, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest report, anti-Semitic incidents on U.S. college campuses increased 89% in 2017.

The South Carolina legislation will help break down the barriers in the fight against anti-Semitism by providing educators and administrators with a clear and uniform definition to recognize anti-Jewish bigotry. The definition included in the bill is the global “gold standard” used to define anti-Semitism, and is used by the U.S. federal government to assess incidents that occur abroad. It is substantially similar to the definition that has been supported by the 31 governments that are members of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; all 50 countries, except for Russia, that make up the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; and the governments of the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Germany and Bulgaria. It has also been adopted by the United Kingdom to use in colleges and universities.

“Anti-Semitism, and the forces that have led to its resurgence, are not representative of the values of South Carolina,” stated Representative Alan Clemmons (107th District) who authored the legislation. “Yesterday, Holocaust Memorial Day, is the culmination of a two-year legislative effort to respond to the FBI’s findings that Jewish students are the mostly likely of all minority groups to suffer hate crimes on campus. Thanks to Sen. Larry Grooms’ leadership in the Senate, South Carolina has taken the ultimate legislative step in codifying a uniform definition of anti-Semitism for state supported institutions of higher education that must be applied to illegal acts and breaches of university policy to determine anti-Semitic intent. This measure is an important step forward in protecting the civil rights of Jewish students. As we remember the millions of Jewish lives taken in the Holocaust and the dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents we see happening in the U.S. and around the world, I’m hopeful that South Carolina will be the first of many states to take such action to discourage anti-Semitism on campus and to appropriately discipline those who engage in such hateful activity.”

Senator Larry Grooms (37th District), who fought hard for the bill in the Senate, stated, “South Carolina legislators are incredibly disturbed by the increase of anti-Semitism around our nation and particularly the threats our young people face daily on campus. We all agree this must stop. All students deserve the same protections of their rights, and our colleges must address all discriminatory conduct, including anti-Semitism, with equal rigor and condemnation. My colleague Alan Clemmons introduced a bill to provide our state’s colleges with the crucial tools to fight discrimination of Jewish students, and I am pleased my Senate colleagues approved it with overwhelming bipartisan support.”

“We applaud the South Carolina legislators, particularly Representative Alan Clemmons, who authored and shepherded this critical legislation from its inception and through every hearing and every vote, and Senator Larry Grooms who championed this legislation and brought us victory in the Senate, as well as Representative Beth Bernstein, Joseph Sabag and our colleagues at the Israel Allies Foundation, Columbia Jewish Federation, Charleston Jewish Federation, and the scores of South Carolina students, parents, educators and religious leaders for their tireless efforts to fight hate and discrimination,” added Vogelstein.

The South Carolina bill is careful to protect students’ First Amendment rights. The bill language states, “Nothing in this proviso may be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States or section 2, Article 1 of the South Carolina Constitution, 1895.”