Strategies for Congress: Understanding, Responding to, and Preventing Antisemitism
Elected leaders stand on the front lines of protecting Jewish communities and strengthening the values that bind Americans together. AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report confirmed that antisemitism remains a persistent concern nationwide, with growing expectations that government—especially Congress—play a visible and constructive role in addressing it.
Combating antisemitism is a national responsibility, not a partisan issue. Whether grounded in commitments to civil rights, human dignity, and inclusive democracy, or in the responsibility to defend religious freedom, the First Amendment, public safety, and houses of worship, these values are not in tension; they are mutually reinforcing pillars of American democracy.
Congress has both the authority and responsibility to act boldly. Through funding and supporting programs that strengthen security, education, and community resilience, Congress can have a tangible impact, prevent harm, safeguard communities at risk, and reinforce public confidence.
AJC’s Priority Recommendations to Congress are to:
- Strengthen security: Fully fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and establish a centralized federal clearinghouse for security resources and best practices for houses of worship, faith-based groups, and nonprofits.
- Hold tech platforms accountable: Mandate reforms and transparency, enable researcher access to data, and leverage oversight to reduce the spread of antisemitic content online.
- Strengthen enforcement: Increase funding, staffing, and authority for civil rights divisions in agencies like Justice and Education, while expanding education sector accountability through Title VI oversight, dedicated coordinators, and streamlined complaint processes.
Understanding Antisemitism
Effective policymaking begins with clarity. Understanding antisemitism—its sources, language, and modern manifestations — enables Congress to respond effectively, communicate accurately, and build trust with constituents.
- Distinguish antisemitism from criticism of Israel: Legitimate policy debate differs from holding Jews collectively responsible or questioning loyalty – such rhetoric can contribute to harassment, exclusion, or intimidation.
- Fund research and data collection: Support data collection and independent research to better understand antisemitism trends and evaluate the effectiveness of federal programs.
- Provide regular training: As antisemitism continues to evolve, training for congressional staff on contemporary antisemitism, including digital radicalization, conspiracy movements, and transnational threats is critical.
A Model for Strengthening Understanding of Antisemitism:
In 2023, a bipartisan pair of Representatives from Ohio came together—demonstrating that confronting antisemitism rises above party lines—to host a statewide training with the American Jewish Committee for the entire Ohio congressional delegation, including staff in both Washington, D.C. and across the state. Building on this cross-party leadership, the Texas delegation followed suit with a similar training in 2026.
Responding to Antisemitism
Antisemitism must be condemned consistently wherever it appears—including within one’s own political or ideological camp. Members of Congress set the tone not only through statements, but through preparedness, coordination, and accountability.
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Respond effectively
- Call out antisemitism specifically when it occurs; do not bundle it with condemnations of other forms of hate.
- Speak swiftly and clearly, framing antisemitism as an attack on American values.
- Address incidents within your own party and collaborate across the aisle, and support bipartisan oversight of government efforts.
- If public condemnation risks escalation, consider direct private engagement or intervention.
- Be mindful of politicization: It is necessary—and often unavoidable—to address antisemitism when it appears in political contexts, even when that is uncomfortable or consequential. It is inappropriate and counterproductive to engage on issues related to antisemitism dishonestly or selectively for partisan advantage.
- Engage affected communities promptly after incidents: Following antisemitic incidents, communicate directly with the Jewish community to offer support and to reinforce trust and public confidence.
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Strengthen protection, civil rights enforcement, and reporting
- Bolster security resources: Fully fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (ideally at $1 billion to respond to current needs) and establish a centralized federal clearinghouse for security resources and best practices for houses of worship, faith-based groups, and nonprofits.
- Ensure federal agencies have the resources to enforce civil rights protections by providing sufficient staffing and authority to the Department of Justice, Department of Education, and other relevant agencies to investigate hate crimes and uphold civil rights laws.
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Strengthen accountability in education by supporting adequate funding for the Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights and backing the establishment of Title VI and civil rights coordinators to address antisemitic harassment.
- Support legislation that makes it easier for students to file ED discrimination complaints and holds colleges and ED accountable for addressing such complaints.
- Support full implementation of hate crime reporting laws and fund programs that incentivize hate crime reporting.
- Respond to foreign and coordinated threats: Take robust action against state-backed and transnational antisemitism, including efforts by hostile regimes, such as Russia, Iran, and Iranian proxies including the IRGC, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and address their attacks on Jews and Israelis living in the U.S.
A Best Practice Leveraging Congressional Influence:
Antisemitic rhetoric—and at times actions—by Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, have fueled a rise in antisemitic narratives tied to discourse about Israel, affecting Jewish life in the country. In response, the American Jewish Committee and the Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus have jointly pushed back, engaging the Petro administration and raising concerns with the U.S. Department of State. A similar dynamic occurred in Chile under Gabriel Boric, where severing ties with Israel coincided with a rise in antisemitism, prompting statements from the caucus.
Preventing Antisemitism
Security measures save lives, but Congress must also act on education, online hate, institutional protection, and bipartisan legislation to prevent antisemitism at its source.
- Counter online hate and antisemitism and strengthen digital safety
- Treat online antisemitism within a broader context of national security and public safety.
- Strengthen accountability and transparency for technology platforms:
- Establish transparency and reporting requirements for platform moderation practices.
- Require social media companies to share data with qualified researchers studying online hate and extremism.
- Reform Section 230 to increase accountability for platforms whose products, recommendation systems, or business practices amplify antisemitic or hate-fueled content.
- Use oversight authority to hold platforms accountable through public hearings, investigations, and, when necessary, legal action (e.g., subpoenas for CEOs or investigations into specific instances such as Grok’s issues with antisemitism), and to ensure federal AI systems include safeguards against antisemitic bias and discriminatory outputs.
- Ensure responsible development and use of artificial intelligence by promoting standards and oversight for artificial intelligence systems to prevent the amplification of antisemitic content, misinformation, or extremist narratives.
- Strengthen education on Jews, antisemitism, and the Holocaust by supporting Holocaust education that includes historical context, contemporary antisemitism, and other best educational practices identified by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- Support legislation that strengthens efforts to prevent and counter antisemitism across society: Congress can advance bipartisan measures that improve security, transparency, education, online accountability, and other protections for Jewish communities.
- Engage and build community
- Mark Jewish holidays, Jewish American Heritage Month (May), and International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27).
- Join caucuses such as the Black-Jewish, Latino-Jewish, and Bipartisan Task Forces to Combat Antisemitism.
- Establish dedicated staff responsibility for antisemitism: Designate a staff lead to monitor antisemitism trends, coordinate with Jewish and interfaith communities, and support timely responses to incidents.
- Promote global best practices: Support efforts of the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism in identifying and sharing – with foreign and domestic audiences – best practices from countries implementing national strategies and utilizing the Global Guidelines to Counter Antisemitism.
A Strong Example of Promoting Global Best Practices:
Following the 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack, when 15 were killed at a Hanukkah celebration, all ten co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging him to take stronger action to protect Australia’s Jewish community by fully adopting and implementing the national action plan crafted by Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and to actively utilize the Global Guidelines. Their advocacy—alongside global voices from sports, business, and civil society—built national momentum that led to the establishment of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on January 9, 2026.
Key Resources
Educational Resources
- AJC’s Translate Hate, a visual glossary of words and symbols that are antisemitic or can become antisemitic in context
- AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Reports
- AJC’s Recognizing When Anti-Israel Actions Become Antisemitic
- AJC’s 10 Tough Questions on Antisemitism Explained
- Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism
- IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
- For additional information, reach out to [email protected]
Practical Resources
- AJC’s The State of Antisemitism in America: Findings and Recommendations for Major Digital Platforms
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics (Department of Education)
