Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican, signed legislation on Thursday adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as a guiding standard for identifying anti-Jewish bias in public schools and higher education institutions across the state, JNS reported.
Kehoe signed the bill along with three other pieces of legislation in his office at the Missouri State Capitol. The governor was joined by Ayellet Black, deputy consul general of Israel in Miami, as well as members of Missouri and international Jewish communities.
“We understand that antisemitism has no place in our state," Kehoe said. “It’s also a fundamental right of every student to be able to learn free from hate."
“Missouri stands with Israel and its people and we want to make sure that the world understands that," he added.
The legislation, House Bill 2061, was introduced by Republican state Representative George Hruza. It requires K-12 schools and public colleges to adopt the IHRA definition within student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct.
The law instructs institutions to treat antisemitism in the same manner as race-based discrimination and to prohibit behavior that creates a climate of fear or intimidation.
It also establishes reporting and enforcement procedures, requiring schools and universities to forward complaints to designated coordinators responsible for investigating allegations and referring unresolved cases to federal authorities.
David Soffer, director of state engagement at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, welcomed the legislation.
“Jewish students, faculty and staff around the state can rest assured their elected officials will have their backs when they face hatred simply for who they are," he said.
The IHRA working definition offers a comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial and, sometimes controversially, the way antisemitism relates to the ways criticism of Israel is expressed.
Dozens of US states and Washington, D.C., have already adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition, recognizing its importance in providing a clear and actionable framework for identifying and combating Jew-hatred.
Countries that have adopted the definition include Canada, Germany, Britain, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
In 2017, the European Parliament voted to adopt a resolution calling on member states and their institutions to apply the IHRA definition.