I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4230 

To authorize the establishment within the Department of State of an Office 

to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, to require inclusion in annual 

Department of State reports of information concerning acts of antiSemitism around the world, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2004 

Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. KIRK, and 

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL 

To authorize the establishment within the Department of 

State of an Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, to require inclusion in annual Department of State 

reports of information concerning acts of anti-Semitism 

around the world, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Anti-Semitism 

5 Awareness Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 
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1 (1) Acts of anti-Semitism in countries through2 out the world, including in some of the world’s 

3 strongest democracies, have increased significantly 

4 in frequency and scope over the last several years. 

5 (2) During the last three months of 2003 and 

6 the first three months of 2004, there were numerous 

7 instances of anti-Semitic violence around the world, 

8 including the following incidents: 

9 (A) In Putrajaya, Malaysia, on October 16, 

10 2003, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of 

11 Malaysia told the 57 national leaders assembled 

12 for the Organization of the Islamic Conference 

13 that Jews ‘‘rule the world by proxy’’, and called 

14 for a ‘‘final victory’’ by the world’s 1.3 billion 

15 Muslims, who, he said, ‘‘cannot be defeated by 

16 a few million Jews’’. 

17 (B) In Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15, 

18 2003, simultaneous car bombs exploded outside 

19 two synagogues filled with worshippers, killing 

20 24 people and wounding more than 250. 

21 (C) In Hobart, Australia, on January 5, 

22 2004, poison was used to ignite and burn anti23 Semitic slogans into the lawns of the Par24 liament House of the state of Tasmania. 
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1 (D) In St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb2 ruary 15, 2004, vandals desecrated approxi3 mately 50 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, 

4 painting the stones with swastikas and anti-Se5 mitic graffiti. 

6 (E) In Toronto, Canada, from March 19 to 

7 March 21, 2004, vandals attacked a Jewish 

8 school, a Jewish cemetery, and area syna9 gogues, painting swastikas and anti-Semitic slo10 gans on the walls of a synagogue and on resi11 dential property in a nearby, predominantly 

12 Jewish, neighborhood. 

13 (F) In Toulon, France, on March 23, 

14 2004, a Jewish synagogue and community cen15 ter were set on fire. 

16 (3) Anti-Semitism has at times taken the form 

17 of vilification of Zionism, the Jewish national move18 ment, and incitement against Israel. 

19 (4) Anti-Semitism is also increasingly ema20 nating from the Arab and Muslim world on a sus21 tained basis, including through books distributed by 

22 government-owned publishing houses in Egypt and 

23 other Arab countries. 

24 (5) In November 2002, state-run television in 

25 Egypt broadcast the anti-Semitic series entitled 
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1 ‘‘Horseman Without a Horse’’, which is based upon 

2 the fictitious conspiracy theory known as the Proto3 cols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols have been 

4 used throughout the last century by despots such as 

5 Adolf Hitler to justify violence against Jews. 

6 (6) In November 2003, Arab television featured 

7 an anti-Semitic series entitled ‘‘Ash-Shatat’’ (‘‘The 

8 Diaspora’’), which depicts Jewish people conspiring 

9 to gain control of the world. 

10 (7) The sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence has 

11 caused international organizations such as the Orga12 nization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

13 (OSCE) to elevate and bring renewed focus to this 

14 issue, including the convening by the OSCE in June 

15 2003 of a conference in Vienna dedicated solely to 

16 the issue of anti-Semitism. 

17 (8) On April 28–29, 2004, in Berlin, Germany, 

18 the OSCE will again convene a conference dedicated 

19 to addressing the problem of anti-Semitism, with the 

20 United States delegation to be led by former Mayor 

21 of New York City Ed Koch. 

22 (9) The United States has vigorously supported 

23 efforts to address anti-Semitism through bilateral re24 lationships and interaction with international organi-
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1 zations such as the OSCE, the European Union, and 

2 the United Nations. 

3 (10) Congress has consistently supported ef4 forts to address the rise in anti-Semitic violence. 

5 During the 107th Congress, both the Senate and the 

6 House of Representatives passed resolutions express7 ing strong concern about the sharp escalation of 

8 anti-Semitic violence in Europe and calling on the 

9 Department of State to thoroughly document the 

10 phenomenon. 

11 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

12 It is the sense of Congress that— 

13 (1) the United States should continue to vigor14 ously support efforts to combat anti-Semitism world15 wide through bilateral relationships and interaction 

16 with international organizations such as the Organi17 zation of Security and Cooperation in Europe 

18 (OSCE); 

19 (2) the United States delegation to the OSCE 

20 conference in Berlin should advocate for the appoint21 ment of a High Commissioner on anti-Semitism; 

22 (3) the President should direct the United 

23 States Ambassador to the United Nations to intro24 duce in the most appropriate forum in the United 

25 Nations a measure condemning anti-Semitism; 
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1 (4) the Secretary of State should establish a 

2 permanent office in the Department of State to 

3 monitor and combat anti-Semitism; and 

4 (5) the Department of State should thoroughly 

5 document acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic in6 citement that occur around the world. 

7 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE 

8 TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM. 

9 The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 

10 is amended by adding after section 58 (22 U.S.C. 2730) 

11 the following new section: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 59. MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM. 

13 ‘‘(a) OFFICE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMI14 TISM.— 

15 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.—The Sec16 retary is authorized and encouraged to establish 

17 within the Department of State an Office to Monitor 

18 and Combat anti-Semitism (in this section referred 

19 to as the ‘Office’) . 

20 ‘‘(2) HEAD OF OFFICE.—If the Secretary estab21 lishes the Office pursuant to paragraph (1), the 

22 head of the Office shall be the Director for Moni23 toring and Combatting anti-Semitism. The Secretary 

24 shall appoint the Director of the Office. 
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1 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE OF OFFICE.—Upon establishment, the 

2 Office shall assume the primary responsibility for— 

3 ‘‘(1) monitoring and combatting acts of anti4 Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in 

5 foreign countries; 

6 ‘‘(2) coordinating and assisting in the prepara7 tion of that portion of the report required by sec8 tions 116(d)(7) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assist9 ance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)(7) and 

10 2304(b)) relating to a summary of acts of anti-Semi11 tism and anti-Semitic incitement around the world 

12 for inclusion in the annual country reports on 

13 human rights practices; and 

14 ‘‘(3) coordinating and assisting in the prepara15 tion of that portion of the report required by section 

16 102(b)(1)(C) of the International Religious Freedom 

17 Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(C)) relating to 

18 an assessment and description of the nature and ex19 tent of acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incite20 ment that occur in foreign countries for inclusion in 

21 the annual international religious freedom report. 

22 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATIONS.—The Director of the Office 

23 shall consult with domestic and international nongovern24 mental organizations and multilateral organizations and 
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1 institutions as the Director considers appropriate to fulfill 

2 the purposes of this section. 

3 ‘‘(d) PUBLIC HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE.—The Di4 rector of the Office may hold public hearings take testi5 mony, and receive evidence as the Director considers ap6 propriate.’’. 

7 SEC. 5. INCLUSION IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNUAL RE8 PORTS OF INFORMATION CONCERNING ACTS 

9 OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 

10 (a) INCLUSION IN COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN

11 RIGHTS PRACTICES.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 

12 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended— 

13 (1) in section 116(d)(7) (22 U.S.C. 

14 2151n(d)(7)), by striking the semicolon and insert15 ing ‘‘and a summary of acts of anti-Semitism and 

16 anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign coun17 tries, including descriptions of— 

18 ‘‘(A) acts of physical violence against, or har19 assment of, Jewish people, and acts of violence 

20 against, or vandalism of, Jewish community institu21 tions, including schools, synagogues, and cemeteries 

22 that occurred in foreign countries during the pre23 ceding year; 

24 ‘‘(B) instances of propaganda in government 

25 and non-government media and other sources in for-
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1 eign countries that attempt to justify or promote ra2 cial hatred or incite acts of violence against Jewish 

3 people; 

4 ‘‘(C) the actions, if any, taken by the govern5 ments of such countries to respond to such violence 

6 and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or in7 citement; 

8 ‘‘(D) the actions taken by such governments to 

9 enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of 

10 the right to religious freedom of Jewish people; and 

11 ‘‘(E) the efforts of such governments to pro12 mote anti-bias and tolerance education;’’; and 

13 (2) in the fourth sentence of section 502B(b) 

14 (22 U.S.C. 2304(b)), by inserting before the period 

15 the following: ‘‘and a summary of acts of anti-Semi16 tism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in for17 eign countries, including the descriptions of such 

18 acts required under section 116(d)(7)’’. 

19 (b) INCLUSION IN INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS

20 FREEDOM REPORT.—Section 102(b)(1) of the Inter21 national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 

22 6412(b)(1)) is amended— 

23 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C), (D), 

24 (E), and (F) as subparagraphs (D), (E), (F), and 

25 (G), respectively; and 
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1 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol2 lowing new subparagraph: 

3 ‘‘(C) ACTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM.—An assess4 ment and description of the nature and extent 

5 of acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incite6 ment that occur in foreign countries, including 

7 descriptions of— 

8 ‘‘(i) acts of physical violence against, 

9 or harassment of, Jewish people, and acts 

10 of violence against, or vandalism of, Jewish 

11 community institutions, including schools, 

12 synagogues, and cemeteries that occurred 

13 in foreign countries during the preceding 

14 year; 

15 ‘‘(ii) instances of propaganda in gov16 ernment and non-government media and 

17 other sources in foreign countries that at18 tempt to justify or promote racial hatred 

19 or incite acts of violence against Jewish 

20 people; 

21 ‘‘(iii) the actions, if any, taken by the 

22 governments of such countries to respond 

23 to such violence and attacks or to eliminate 

24 such propaganda or incitement; 
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1 ‘‘(iv) the actions taken by such gov2 ernments to enact and enforce laws relat3 ing to the protection of the right to reli4 gious freedom of Jewish people; and 

5 ‘‘(v) the efforts of such governments 

6 to promote anti-bias and tolerance edu7 cation.’’. 

8 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE OF INCLUSIONS.—The amend9 ments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply begin10 ning with the first report under sections 116(d) and 

11 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

12 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) and section 102(b) of the Inter13 national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 

14 6312(b)) submitted more than one year after the date of 

15 the enactment of this Act. 

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