[ ]J Street[ ]
Dear Friends,

With President Trump continuing to hijack the fight against antisemitism
to attack universities, bypass due process and deport foreign students,
we’re now deeply worried that senators are about to walk into a trap that
will only make things worse.

Let me explain:

There’s broad recognition that antisemitism is on the rise and must be
addressed.

The bill up for consideration in the Senate right now – The Antisemitism
Awareness Act – is a dangerous step in the wrong direction.

And I’ll be really honest: In a time of rising antisemitism on both the
left and the right, we don’t take it lightly to be advocating against
something called the “Antisemitism Awareness Act.”

But this bill, while framed as a response to rising antisemitism, risks
giving Donald Trump and his allies a powerful new tool to target dissent,
silence protest and erode democratic freedoms.

J Street strongly opposes the AAA, and we’re not alone. We’ve joined a
broad coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish, pro-democracy, civil liberties
groups – and today, we are coming together to show the depth of our
concern and commitment to opposing this bill.

Today, J Street, along with nine other Jewish organizations, came together
to urge Senators to vote NO, [ [link removed] ]stating that:

“Voting in favor of this legislation in this current political climate
would represent an endorsement of the Trump Administration’s escalating
efforts to weaponize antisemitism as a pretext for undermining civil
rights, deporting political dissidents, and attacking the fundamental
pillars of our democracy, making the Jewish community and others less
safe.”

The AAA contains none of the critical steps outlined in the 2023 National
Strategy to Counter Antisemitism: No funding for community safety. No
antisemitism education programs. No Holocaust awareness measures. No
National Antisemitism Coordinator. No Interagency Task Force.

Instead, the legislation empowers the federal government to crack down on
student protesters on college campuses. It requires the government to use
only one definition of antisemitism with a key focus on speech about
Israel and greenlights the administration’s ability to use funding threats
to coerce universities to comply with their requests.

Even if this power might be used wisely by a good-faith administration,
there is no justification for entrusting it to one campaigning on promises
to deport dissidents and criminalize protest.

The fight against antisemitism is too important and must be pursued
comprehensively. We can’t allow it to be hijacked by an administration
that’s attacking the foundations of our democracy.

We must stand together – across communities – to defend both our safety
and our democracy.

In a powerful show of cross-community solidarity, we released a [ [link removed] ]joint
statement with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), sending a clear
message that:

“Silencing dissent, criminalizing protest and weaponizing identity to
justify the erosion of civil liberties do not make our communities safer.
On the contrary, they deepen fear, division and authoritarianism –
threatening the very principles that allow diverse communities to coexist
in freedom and dignity.”

We will not allow our shared struggles against hate to be exploited to
justify authoritarian crackdowns.

Please help us get the word out: Forward this message, speak with your
networks and stay tuned for advocacy opportunities in the days ahead.

With gratitude and resolve,

Adina Vogel Ayalon
Vice President and Chief of Staff, J Street


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J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the
Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we
advocate policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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