A group of 22 members of Congress visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and discussed the origins of antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) toured the museum with other legislators and House Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben.
The 90-minute event began with a presentation by Danny Greene, an adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University, discussing “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” forgery that has fueled hate against Jews for more than a century.
“Six months after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust and in the face of skyrocketing antisemitism, walking through these exhibits is a solemn reminder that there is no room for silence in the face of hate,” Gottheimer, the primary organizer of the tour, told JNS. “We must never forget, and we must work together to combat all forms of antisemitism and extremism—on college campuses and across our nation.”
The congressman said it was “a true privilege” to co-host my colleagues for a bipartisan tour of the museum.” He described viewing the exhibits as “a solemn reminder of the lives lost during the Holocaust and the devastation that antisemitism can reap. Now, more than ever, we must work together to combat antisemitism—on college campuses and everywhere in the United States.”
Commenting further on the recent campus chaos fueled by pro-Hamas protesters, Gottheimer told JNS that “the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and assembly, but not freedom to harass and intimidate other students. On campuses across our nation, I expect to see leadership stop the double talk and start acting.”
Gottheimer told JNS that he has called on administrators to “discipline harassers. Restore civility on campus. Encourage peaceful, constructive, civil dialogue. As [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden highlighted, we must respect students’ right to peacefully protest so long as they do not interfere with their classmates’ safety and ability to learn.”
On Tuesday, he posted on X a 33-second video featuring antisemitic postings he had received following his increased outspokenness in defending the Jewish people.
“It’s a disgusting reminder that antisemitism is alive and well,” he wrote. “Antisemitism and all forms of hate have no place in our country. Don’t be silent. It takes all of us to tackle hate.”
{Matzav.com}