Comparing the policies of the Israeli government to Nazi Germany constitutes anti-Semitism, according to new US State Department guidelines.
The State Department revised its definition of anti-Semitism this week, adding to the existing list a new example of contemporary anti-Semitism.
On the State Department’s website, the new addition reads: “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”
The State Department’s definition had previously included “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” but had not hitherto related to comparisons between Israeli government policies and Nazi Germany.
American-Israeli philanthropist and chairman of the board of the Israeli-American Council Adam Milstein noted the change, tweeting out before and after screenshots of the State Department website’s anti-Semitism section.
Milstein praised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr.
“The State Dep. just updated the definition of Antisemitism to include ‘Drawing Comparison of Contemporary #Israeli policy to the of Nazis’. Kudos to SecPompeo and Special Envoy Elan Carr. It's more clear now, the BDS Movement is disgustingly Antisemitic,” tweeted Milstein.
At least two US lawmakers made comments recently which could run afoul of the new State Department definition of anti-Semitism.
Last month, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) justified support of a new pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution in the House of Representatives by citing the precedent of boycotting Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
“Americans boycotted Nazi Germany in response to dehumanization, imprisonment, and genocide of Jewish people,” said Tlaib during an address in the House.