Testimony Against Adoption of IHRA Definition of Antisemitism in SB 297

Criticism of Israeli policy should not be conflated with antisemitism

Written testimony to the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee against a bill that, in the name of fighting antisemitism, would target and demonize all protest and speech against Israeli policies.

December 10, 2024

Written Testimony Against Adoption of IHRA Definition of Antisemitism in SB 297

Testimony of Dr. Pranav Jani, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University

Chairman Manning, Vice Chair Reynolds, Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson, and members of the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee:

I am Associate Professor of English at The Ohio State University and am writing to oppose SB297, which would establish in Ohio law the definition of antisemitism as put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). My opposition to SB297 and the IHRA definition emerge from my expertise and experience in two capacities: as Faculty Advisor of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and as Program Director of Asian American Studies, part of the Center for Ethnic Studies at OSU. As I will argue, SB297 is a bill that will (1) suppress freedom of expression of Ohio State students and (2) will do little to address antisemitism itself.

It goes without saying, first of all, that antisemitism needs to be opposed every time it rears its…