South Carolina will become the first state to legally define criticism of Israel as “anti-Semitism” when a new measure goes into effect on July 1, targeting public schools and universities. While politicians have tried to pass the measure as a standalone law for two years, they finally succeeded temporarily by passing it as a “proviso” that was slipped into the 2018-2019 budget.

According to the text of the measure, the definition of “anti-Semitism” will now include:

• a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities;
• calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews; making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective; accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, the state of Israel, or even for acts committed by non-Jews;
• accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust;
• accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interest of their own nations;
• using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism to characterize Israel or Israelis;
• drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis;
• blaming Israel for all inter-religious or political tensions;
• applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation;
• multilateral organizations focusing on Israel only for peace or human rights investigations;
• denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, and denying Israel the right to exist, provided, however, that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic." Quote from Blacklisted News: https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/65861/us-state-passes-law-d...