RALEIGH, N.C. — Just a week after campus protests across the country and here in the state, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill that would codify a definition for antisemitism.

The definition in the bill comes from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and House Speaker Tim Moore said dozens of other states have enacted similar legislation.

What You Need To Know

  • The bill passed in the House with broad bipartisan support

  • It adopts a definition of antisemitism

  • Supporters say it will be an educational tool to help prevent antisemitism

  • Opponents say it could hurt people's First Amendment's rights

The move had broad bipartisan support in the House, but not all Jewish organizations agreed with the move.

Abby Lublin, the executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice, was one of the advocates who gathered outside of the legislature sharing concerns.

Lublin said that the definition includes several examples, and a few involve Israel. There’s a fear the criticism of Israel and government policies could be viewed under law as antisemitic.

“There's no enforcement around this bill,” Lublin said. “It gives cover to non-governmental entities, private colleges, businesses to say, ‘Oh, we're going to take these definitions, and we will enforce this, because they're not protected under the same First Amendment, they don't have the same First Amendment protections and requirements.’ So they can say ‘Well, according to the legislature’s definition, your criticism of Netanyahu's government is antisemitic and therefore you're losing your scholarship.’”

Several Jewish organizations came out to support the bill and thank lawmakers for their action.

Phil Brodsky is the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh. He said in the past few months, his organization has received call after call from parents, concerned about antisemitism and bullying.

He said this change in the law will help give educators and officials a definition of antisemitism that they can go to, training on education and prevention.

He doesn’t agree with the idea that it will infringe on First Amendment rights to free speech.

“All of that's on the board as long as you're criticizing Israel the way you would any other country,” Brodsky said. “What this is about is when you single out Israel's right to exist or the Jewish people's right to self-determination, which we're so often seeing when people are telling Jews, 'go back home.' That's what this is about.”

The bill now goes to the Senate, and if passed, it will go to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.