Florida bill defines anti-Semitism, prohibits discrimination

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill that would define anti-Semitism under Florida law and prohibit religion-based discrimination at public schools and universities is advancing in the Legislature.

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that would prohibit speech that makes dehumanizing or stereotypical allegations about the Jewish community, or that compares contemporary Israeli policies to those of Nazi Germany.

The anti-Semitism definition also would prohibit expressing a hatred for Jews, calling for the killing or harming of a Jewish person, criticizing the collective power of the Jewish community, or accusing Jewish people or Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.

The bill would require educational institutions to consider this definition when determining if some practice or action constitutes discrimination based on religion.