Resolution recognizes historical facts about the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews (Reuters)
Britain's Middle East Monitor newspaper said that the US House of Representatives' approval last Tuesday of a resolution equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is a move that will further restrict freedom of expression.
The resolution is titled "Affirming Israel's Right to Exist" and contains controversial allegations that could be used to suppress criticism of Israel, including its practice of apartheid.
The resolution, introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, won bipartisan support, with only two members opposed.
The resolution acknowledges historical facts about the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews, but omits any mention of Palestinians and their historical claims in the region, declaring that the Jewish people are "native to the Land of Israel," i.e. Palestine.
New York Rep. Jamal Bowman, who voted in favor of the resolution despite doubting the possibility of repeating such resolutions, wondered if anyone would write a resolution on the Palestinians' right to exist.
The newspaper also quoted Palestinian-American Muslim Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, who opposed the resolution, as saying it ignored the existence of the Palestinian people and their right to their historic homeland.
The resolution also states that "denying Israel's right to exist is a form of anti-Semitism," which Republican Rep. Thomas Massey opposed.
The newspaper pointed out that the decision comes as a growing debate within the US Democratic Party on the need to put conditions on aid to Israel as it continues to bomb the Gaza Strip.
Source: British Press