Lawmakers in our nation's capital are rallying to fight antisemitism. One member of Congress told CBN News about his effort to hold members accountable to do more.
"It's a very, very serious problem," Rep. Chris Smith said.
The New Jersey Republican is referring to the overwhelming majority of hate crimes committed against Jews each year, even though statistics show this community only represents 2-percent of the entire population.
Since October 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched its brutal attack on Israeli soil, Smith says there's been an increase in violence against the Jewish community, especially students on college campuses.
"I was at Rutgers University when a group of Hamas promoters and supporters (were there), and I went and I talked to some of the Jewish students, and I talked to them and they screamed (directly) in my face...about how bad Israel is," Smith said.
In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League tracked nearly 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. alone, the highest on record.
It's why Smith is sounding the alarm, holding a series of hearings to review the global threat of Jewish persecution. Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, testified that antisemitism has become normalized and amplified by technology.
"It's a bar in Philadelphia where a sign saying 'F the Jews' is lit up and paraded as people laugh, or when many people come together to work on a music video about a song called 'Heil Hitler' with no one seeming to bat an eye," Deutch described.
Smith said action is needed now. "We don't just sit there and wait for them to attack."
He wants to make sure Congress acts alongside the Trump administration to take countermeasures against these attacks by starting in his home state."
"I have a number of synagogues in New Jersey and in my district that, you know, we've done more from a Homeland Security point of view, putting up more cameras, more, more, situational awareness efforts to ensure that, you know, these these terrorists, do not do something evil," Smith said.
"Withholding funds to certain colleges and universities that have shown a propensity to enable this kind of barbaric behavior sends a message," he continued.
Smith says the key to combating global Jewish hatred starts with Christians joining in unity.
"I do think Christians, first and foremost, need to pray, pray for Jerusalem, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for Jews everywhere. Become in solidarity with the movement," he said.
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