Jewish Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said she voted against the bill that would crack down on antisemitism on college campuses because, in her view, anti-Zionism is not “inherently” antisemitism, and the measure that passed through the House would “stifle” free speech rights.
Jacobs shared her explanation by drawing from her own experience of facing antisemitism in her personal life and adding that she is “deeply concerned” about its rise around the nation.
“As a Jewish woman, I’ve experienced antisemitism all my life,” Jacobs said in a statement following the bill’s passage in the lower chamber. “I’ve been called a kike while I was waiting for a drink at a bar when I was at college. I’ve heard too many ‘jokes’ to count about my frizzy hair and my big nose.”
“I remember my classmates who thought it was funny to say people were ‘being Jewed’ when someone was being frugal,” she continued. “I know the hatred and ignorance that lie behind all these comments, and how they can quickly escalate into violence — and I’m deeply concerned about the rise of antisemitism in San Diego and across the country.”
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