Oklahoma Senate Passes Bills to Protect Jewish Students, Combat Antisemitism

The Oklahoma state Senate has passed two key bills aimed at safeguarding Jewish students and addressing antisemitism on college campuses, Republican state Senator Kristen Thompson announced on Tuesday, March 25, according to Jewish media.

“Antisemitism has no place in our state,” said Thompson, who sponsored both bills. “These bills make it clear that Oklahoma stands with our Jewish communities and will not tolerate hatred disguised as political discourse. We are drawing a firm line and giving our schools the tools to take meaningful action.”

Thompson emphasized that the legislation, which received bipartisan support, is a direct response to increasing concerns from Jewish students, faculty, and families in Oklahoma.

SB 991, which passed by a 27-15 vote, formally adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism into state law. This measure builds on a January 2022 executive order by Governor Kevin Stitt endorsing the definition, according to the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

The IHRA working definition offers a comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial, and, sometimes controversially, the way antisemitism relates to the ways criticism of Israel is expressed.

More than half the states in the US have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition, as has the District of Columbia, either as legislation or as an educational standard. (INN/VFI News) 

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24