Jewish Groups Rally Behind Bipartisan Senate Antisemitism Bill with $1 Billion Security Allocation

Major American Jewish organizations are urging the swift passage of new bipartisan Senate legislation designed to protect Jews and Jewish institutions from antisemitism. Known as the Jewish American Security Act, the bill is sponsored by Republican Senator James Lankford and Jacky Rosen, a Jewish Democrat from Nevada. It would direct the federal education department to adopt a civil rights strategy to combat antisemitism and would require social media platforms to disclose more about how they handle antisemitism online.

At the center of the legislation is a proposed $1 billion in security funding for houses of worship and other at-risk nonprofits, a leading demand in a six-point security plan that Jewish Federations of North America has been advancing in Congress. The bill was unveiled on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, as hundreds of Jewish advocates traveled to Washington, D.C., to press for the allocation. The sum would triple the amount Congress appropriated in 2026 for security at houses of worship.

“Jewish Americans are being targeted, attacked, and killed simply because of who they are,” Rosen, a former synagogue president, said in a statement. “This alarming trend demands a comprehensive, bipartisan approach that addresses both the seeds and the impacts of this vile hatred.” Backers are pressing for the bill’s quick passage as Jewish communities across the country confront a sustained rise in antisemitic threats and violence.

(JPost/VFI News)