Ayanna Pressley Votes No On Resolution Condemning Rising Anti-Semitism In America

By Tom Joyce | December 6, 2023, 20:30 EST

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.Res.894, a resolution titled “Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world” on Tuesday.

However, one member of Congress from Massachusetts was one of the 14 members of Congress to oppose it:  U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Hyde Park).

The resolution came up for a vote nearly two months after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, leaving more than 1,200 people dead.

Since then, there have been displays of support for Hamas in the United States, including in Massachusetts. Displays of support include protesters on college campuses and Palestinian flags being flown in communities such as North Andover. In addition, at President Joe Biden’s Boston fundraiser on Monday, December 5, anti-Biden protesters waved Palestinian flags.

As of Wednesday evening, Pressley has not publicly addressed her no vote on the resolution condemning the rise of anti-Semitism.

Among the other members of the Massachusetts delegation:  Five U.S. representatives voted Yes:  Jake Auchincloss (D-Newton), Bill Keating (D-Bourne), Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston), Seth Moulton (D-Salem), and Richard Neal (D-Springfield) voted yes on the resolution to condemn antisemitism.

Three U.S. representatives from Massachusetts voted Present:  Katherine Clark (D-Revere), Jim McGovern (D-Worcester), and Lori Trahan (D-Westford).

The press office for Pressley could not be reached for comment on Monday or Tuesday. Nor could the press offices for Clark, McGovern, and Trahan.

Here is the resolution Pressley rejected, in full:

Whereas acts of hate, intimidation, discrimination, and violence based on ethnicity or religion have no place in our country nor in the global community;

Whereas the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism is widely accepted and serves as a critical tool to help individuals comprehend and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism;

Whereas, since the massacre of innocent Israelis by Hamas, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, on October 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault in the United States have spiked 388 percent over the same period last year, according to reports from the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism;

Whereas drastic increases in antisemitic activity has also been seen in Jewish communities around the world since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks;

Whereas the slogan “From the River to the Sea”, which is a rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, has been used by anti-Israel protesters in the United States and globally;

Whereas, on October 8, 2023, a car with individuals holding Palestinian flags appeared to intentionally swerve out of its lane, nearly hitting a visibly Jewish family in Clifton, New Jersey;

Whereas, on October 15, 2023, an individual in New York, New York, punched a Jewish woman in the face at Grand Central Terminal solely because she was Jewish;

Whereas, on October 28, 2023, a Jewish man in Sydney, Australia, was severely injured by 3 anti-Israel rioters, in which he was punched in the head at least 12 times, suffered a concussion, 2 black eyes, and 4 spinal fractures;

Whereas, on November 3, 2023, a Jewish woman’s store in New York City was attacked by a mob of anti-Israel protesters all because she hung posters of Israeli hostages in the store window;

Whereas, on November 3, 2023, 4 masked men walked into a restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and proceeded to tear down an Israeli flag and yelled “Free Palestine”;

Whereas, on November 4, 2023, an Arizona man was arrested by Federal authorities for threatening to execute a local Rabbi and “every other JEW I can find tonight at midnight of your Sabbath”;

Whereas, on November 4, 2023, during an anti-Israel protest in Washington, DC, rioters shouted their support for Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and other acts of terror targeting Israel, called for the end of the State of Israel, and spewed hateful and vile language amplifying antisemitic themes;

Whereas, during that same protest in Washington, DC, rioters stormed and tried to scale the White House fence, vandalized property by staining blood-red handprints onto the side of the White House pillars, and spray painted “Death to Israel” and “Glory to our Martyrs” on buildings in DC;

Whereas, on November 6, 2023, Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, tragically died due to injuries sustained when an anti-Israel protester struck him in the head with a megaphone in Los Angeles, California;

Whereas, on November 11, 2023, as part of a massive anti-Israel protest, rioters set off smokebombs in front of a synagogue in London, England;

Whereas, on November 12, 2023, police found several headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn, Ohio, were desecrated with swastikas;

Whereas, on November 13, 2023, a mezuzah was torn off the doorpost of a Jewish person’s apartment and a knife was stuck into the wood in its place in Milan, Italy;

Whereas, on November 13, 2023, the evening before the March for Israel in Washington, DC, anti-Israel rioters vandalized a Jewish medical tent by spray painting “Free Gaza”, “Palestine Will Be Free”, and “Gaza Will Win”; and

Whereas, on November 15, 2023, anti-Israel protesters illegally blocked and violently attacked the Democratic National Committee headquarters, endangering the lives of individuals inside, including Members of Congress, and injuring 6 Capitol Police Officers; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) strongly condemns and denounces all instances of antisemitism occurring in the United States and globally;

(2) reaffirms and reiterates its strong support for the Jewish community at home and abroad;

(3) calls on elected officials and world leaders to condemn and fight all forms of domestic and global antisemitism;

(4) clearly and firmly states that anti-Zionism is antisemitism; and

(5) rejects all forms of terror, hate, discrimination, and harassment of members of the Jewish community.