NORTH JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) on Monday sent a letter to New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, urging an immediate vote on Assembly Bill A3558 — bipartisan legislation that would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism into state law.
The bill, co-sponsored by nearly 70 percent of the state Assembly, has faced repeated delays despite widespread bipartisan support. Advocates say the IHRA definition would provide law enforcement and state officials with a standardized framework to identify and address antisemitic incidents.
“The New Jersey Assembly refuses to vote on legislation to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as hate surges across our state,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “New Jersey ranks third in the nation for antisemitic incidents, according to the ADL’s 2024 audit. The Assembly needs to stop stalling and finally bring this bill to the floor for a vote.”
The IHRA definition has been adopted by 35 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and more than 40 countries. It is considered the most widely recognized standard for identifying antisemitism.
In Congress, Gottheimer has also introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Education to use the IHRA definition in Title VI civil rights investigations. That measure passed the House in the last Congress by a 320–91 vote but did not advance in the Senate.
