Michigan Lawmakers Propose Expansion of Civil Rights Law to Include Protection Against Antisemitism
A group of Democratic state lawmakers in Michigan is advocating for an amendment to the state’s civil rights law to explicitly encompass protection against antisemitism. The call for this legislative change comes in the wake of reported incidents of antisemitic violence in various parts of the country, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.
The proposed amendment aims to incorporate the term “ethnicity” into the existing protected characteristics outlined in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. These already consist of “religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, familial status, marital status, or source of income.”
Advocates supporting this expansion highlight recent acts of violence targeting Jewish individuals, some of which have been linked to protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, as grounds for including antisemitism as a distinct category in the civil rights law.
Studies such as the annual survey conducted by the America Jewish Committee reveal that approximately one-third of Jews in the United States have encountered antisemitic behavior. Furthermore, a report from the Anti-Defamation League indicates that incidents of antisemitism reached a peak last year.
Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) emphasized the necessity for Jews to feel secure in the country, stating, “Jews should be able to be safe in this country where they stand.” Representative Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield), a primary proponent of the legislation, condemned the resurgence of antisemitic tropes like “collective guilt,” which unjustly hold all Jews accountable for the actions of the Israeli government.
Amidst conflicting views within the U.S. Jewish population regarding Israel’s conflict with Gaza, the proposed expansion of the civil rights law is viewed as a crucial step to address the escalating issue of antisemitism. Representative Arbit underscored the importance of bipartisan condemnation of antisemitism, signaling a unified stance against this rising form of discrimination.
