Washington, D.C., May 1, 2024 —Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, called today’s vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 “the right response” to the antisemitic rallies that have taken place on multiple campuses across the country.
In an effort to crack down on increasingly violent antisemitic rhetoric occurring at protests on college campuses, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 by a vote of 320-91. This bill requires the Department of Education to consider a more stringent federal definition of antisemitism when determining whether or not antisemitism is occurring on a college campus.
Leatherwood comments on the House vote:
“The antisemitic displays we’ve seen across our nation, and especially on college campuses, are absolutely detestable and should be denounced at every turn. Approving this bill is the right response, and I would urge the Senate to move forward swiftly.
Antisemitism is a problem for every person of faith and even those of no faith. In multiple resolutions going back over a hundred years, Southern Baptists have long stood with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. We will continue to do so and work to combat antisemitism and any form of hatred or bigotry at home and abroad.”
The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 13.6 million members and a network of over 47,000 cooperating churches and congregations. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is the SBC’s ethics, religious liberty and public policy agency with offices in Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C.
To request an interview contact Elizabeth Bristow by email at [email protected].
