H. Res. 707 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 18, 2014. 

Whereas there is clear evidence of increasing incidents and 

expressions of anti-Semitism throughout the world; 

Whereas on April 30, 2014, the United States Department 

of State released the International Religious Freedom 

Report for 2013 and noted that, ‘‘Throughout Europe, 

the historical stain of anti-Semitism continued to be a 

fact of life on Internet fora, in soccer stadiums, and 

through Nazi-like salutes, leading many individuals who 

are Jewish to conceal their religious identity.’’; 

Whereas anti-Semitic acts committed and recorded in 2014 

around the world, including countries in the Middle East, 

Latin America, Europe, and North America, include incidents of murder at Jewish sites, violent attacks and 

death threats against Jews, as well as gun violence, 

arson, graffiti, anti-Semitic cartoons, and other property 

desecration at Jewish cemeteries, places of worship, and 

communal activity; 

Whereas a survey by the Anti-Defamation League of attitudes towards Jews in more than 100 countries around 

the world, released in May 2014 found that over a quarter of the people surveyed (26 percent), and nearly three 

quarters of those surveyed in the Middle East (74 percent) hold anti-Semitic views, a stunning indicator of the 
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stubborn resilience of anti-Semitic beliefs, even in countries where few Jews reside; 

Whereas the Anti-Defamation League survey also found that 

a majority of people surveyed overall have either not 

heard of the Holocaust or do not believe it happened as 

has been documented by factual accounts and recorded 

by history; 

Whereas President Barack Obama said in his remarks at the 

USC Shoah Foundation Dinner on May 7, 2014, ‘‘. . . 

if the memories of the Shoah survivors teach us anything, 

it is that silence is evil’s greatest co-conspirator. And it’s 

up to us—each of us, every one of us—to forcefully condemn any denial of the Holocaust. It’s up to us to combat not only anti-Semitism, but racism and bigotry and 

intolerance in all their forms, here and around the world. 

It’s up to us to speak out against rhetoric that threatens 

the existence of a Jewish homeland and to sustain America’s unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security’’; 

Whereas in 2004, Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism 

Review Act, which established an Office to Monitor and 

Combat Anti-Semitism, headed by a Special Envoy to 

Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism; 

Whereas the United States Government has consistently supported efforts to address the rise in anti-Semitism 

through its bilateral relationships and through engagement in international organizations such as the United 

Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Organization of 

American States (OAS); 

Whereas in recent decades there has been a clear and troubling pattern of increased violence against Jewish persons 
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and their property, purportedly in connection with increased opposition to policies enacted by the Government 

of Israel; 

Whereas during Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge 

aiming to stem the rocket fire and terrorist infiltrations 

by Hamas, Jews and Jewish institutions and property 

were attacked in Europe and elsewhere, including attempts to invade a synagogue in Paris, fire-bombings of 

synagogues in France and Germany, assaults on Jewish 

individuals, and swastikas spray-painted in a heavily Jewish area of London and also in Rome’s historic Jewish 

quarter; 

Whereas anti-Semitic imagery and comparisons of Jews and 

Israel to Nazis have been on display at demonstrations 

against Israel’s actions in Gaza throughout the United 

States, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, including— 

(1) placards comparing Israeli leaders to Nazis, accusing Israel of carrying out a ‘‘Holocaust’’ against Palestinians, and equating the Jewish Star of David with 

the Nazi swastika, and 

(2) demonstrations that have included chants of 

‘‘Death to Jews’’, ‘‘Death to Israel’’, or expressions of 

support for suicide terrorism against Israeli or Jewish civilians; 

Whereas the Governments in France, Germany, and Italy, 

the three countries where the majority of incidents have 

occurred, have strongly condemned anti-Semitism as unacceptable in European society and have all made clear 

statements that such attacks on their Jewish communities are intolerable, and they have matched those words 

with strong law enforcement; 
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Whereas some civil society leaders have set strong examples, 

including the condemnation by the Union of Mosques of 

France, on behalf of their 500 mosques, called the attacks ‘‘morally unjust and unacceptable’’, and stated, 

‘‘nothing can justify any act that could harm our Jewish 

compatriots, their institutions or their places of worship’’; 

Whereas the largest newspaper in circulation in Germany, 

Bild, featured statements against anti-Semitism from 

politicians, business leaders, civic leaders, media personalities and celebrities with ‘‘Never Again Jew Hatred’’ on 

the front page; and 

Whereas Congress has played an essential role in illustrating 

and counteracting the resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) unequivocally condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred 

or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or elsewhere; 

(2) decries and condemns the comparison of Israel 

to Nazis as an insult to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust and an affront to those who survived and their children and grandchildren, the righteous 

gentiles who saved Jewish lives at peril to their own lives 

and to those who bravely fought to defeat the Nazis; 

(3) applauds those foreign leaders who have condemned anti-Semitic acts and calls on those who have 
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yet to take firm action against anti-Semitism in their 

countries, to do so; 

(4) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the 

United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat 

Anti-Semitism as part of the broader policy priority of 

fostering international religious freedom; 

(5) supports expanded Holocaust educational programs that increase awareness, counter prejudice, and 

enhance efforts to teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust; and 

(6) urges the Secretary of State to— 

(A) maintain combating anti-Semitism as a 

United States foreign policy priority; 

(B) ensure that the instruments of United 

States public diplomacy, including the United 

States Representative to the Organization of Islamic Conference, are utilized to effectively combat 

anti-Semitism; 

(C) ensure high-level United States participation in the 2014 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) high level event marking the 10th anniversary of the 2004 OSCE Berlin 

Declaration against anti-Semitism; 
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(D) urge governments to ensure that adequate 

laws are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence 

against persons and property; 

(E) continue robust United States reporting on 

anti-Semitism by the Department of State and the 

Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism; 

(F) provide necessary training and instruction 

for personnel posted in United States embassies and 

missions to analyze and report on anti-Semitic violence against persons and property as well as the 

response of governments to those incidents; 

(G) ensure that United States Government efforts to train law enforcement personnel and prosecutors abroad incorporate tools to address anti-Semitic violence against persons and property; and 

(H) strongly support the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-Semitism, including through support for its law enforcement and 

civil society training programs. 

Attest: 

Clerk.