Should NJ Dems Risk Losing Votes b/c IHRA in 2025?
In a largely speculative article, the right wing NY Post is suggesting the possibility that a Republican can capture the NJ governor’s seat and even suggesting the possibility of a Republican takeover of the NJ Assembly. Meanwhile in the NJ legislature, the Democrats are joined with the Republicans on promoting a pair of laws based upon an executive order that Trump signed during his first term. This reference is to the IHRA proposed NJ laws that would create a false definition of supposed “antisemitism” that includes criticism of Israel that would lead to increased Islamopobia and great legal harm to those who disagree with US-Israel policy and also lead to cuts of state funding to public schools, colleges, libraries, municipalites and non profits that could be accused of non compliance with the repressive laws.
NJ’s powerful pro-Palestine advocacy community is united against the IHRA laws and mobilzing voters to support only those Assembly and Governor candidates who explicitly support NJ’s free speech rights to advocate for Palestine. This sector of NJ voters is hyper motivated since it has been active in the struggle to end what we call the US – Israel genocide in Gaza. While the NY Post piece could be an exaggeration, can the Democrats take the chance of throwing this election away over IHRA?
The last time I checked there were 35 NJ Assembly Democrats who are sponsor or co-sponsors on the proposed A3558 IHRA bill. This bill is the “identical” bill to NJ Senate bill S1292. This bill invokes the false conflation of Judaism with Israel by referring to the IHRA definition of “anti-Semitism” that has numerous points on the topic of Israel. In NJ IHRA linked accusations were used against students who wanted to protest for a cease fire because they said “Stop Bombing Gaza.” So the IHRA narrative is already casting a repressive shadown on our free speech rights in NJ. The other Senate bill that has not yet been duplicated into the Assembly provides the teeth, S2937. This bill would provide complete cuts in NJ funding for public schools, colleges, libraries, municipalites and non profits found to be out of compliance with the phony IHRA definition of antisemitism. Of course Republicans would be expected to weaponize these laws to have at it with their Musk style budget KT tripping chain saw massacre.
FightBackBetter has dedicated a substantial effort of its news reporting toward stopping the IHRA push in NJ. We have amply communicated many of our published articles to the NJ Assembly and Senators of both parties, to the Governor and the gubernatorial candidates. We are roundly ignored – no responses. Likewise 1000s of NJ citizens and residents have also participated in an effort across dozens of organizations and spearheaded by groups like CAIR-NJ Palestine Americant Community Center and American Muslims for Palestine NJ and many others. Yet every time we check there are still 35 democrats in the assembly listed on the bill. It is clear we are being roundly ignored and it seems like the Democrats are not worried about the damages they are doing to their own electability with their support for IHRA.
While NY Post is an obvious propaganda organ for an extreme rightist pro-Trump perspective and it could be exaggerating, there is no doubt that the Republican voter strength in 2024 was at a high point. The Trump policies will impact NJ and they might lose a little support when diehard Trump supporters find their own hydes under the bus as is the case across the country. However there is definitely a fact that the Republicans are stronger than in a long time in NJ right now.
Is this a good time for the Democrats to dump its usual relationship with Arab and Muslim voters? Should you be supporting laws that criminalize the pervasive world view among Muslim Americans and Arab Americans – not a monolith but in general tilting in support of Palestinians and critical of Israel? It is not just the Arab and Muslim voter base affected as many of all faiths – yes including many followers of Judaism are tremendously opposed to the US – Israel policy currently. This editor suggests that more than 1 millions NJ Voters and residents are impacted and can possibly be put in legal harms way if IHRA becomes law in NJ.
The following are recommendations of this editor – and as I told Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis when I approached them directly on this issue – this is me, Bob Witanek, Editor of FIghtBackBetter and Free Speech Unity candidate for Assembly in LD 16 saying to you – I am trying to help you!
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Take the threat seriously – inspite of the obvious bias of NY Post there is some truth to the fact that Republicans are stronger now – you should be worried.
- Assess if you have the luxury for pushing these laws currently. The pro-Israel field of voters are definitely in the camp that urged you all to sign on to the bill. However Israel hard core supporters are more aligned with Trump than you anyway – Israel gave Trump a golden beeper trophy celebrating terrorizing a population with weaponized consumer products – and on the trophy it says “To Trump Our Top Ally” – not to the USA. Pro Israel is leaning toward Trump and your IHRA support will not win them back.
- Pro-Palestine including the NJ’s Muslim Americans and Arab Americans are a hyper organized voter base right now. They have voted independently – are willing to vote outside of the democrat – republican range of options in pursuit of improving the conditions for Palestinian people and that includes our ability to advocate for that improvement in NJ.
- This editor suggests that there be an exodus of assembly seat holders to remove your names from sponsorship. For example if 20 out of the 35 Assembly members on the bill were to remove their name it would send a message to those of us concerned that Democrats will not pass this bill at this time. That could create a little more space for voter cooperation.
- Fully recognize – this is not me the editor threatening anyone or trying to bribe like Roy Freiman accused me – this is me trying to make you realize this is a very real problem for you in 2025. The best steps would be to take your names off the bill and then say it out loud that you no longer support it. Those already off the bill should delineate their opposition to IHRA.
- You do not have to agree with our position on the issue. As Gubernatorial candidate Fulop very astutely stated his opposition to IHRA is as a supporter of Israel , opposed to BDS, in favor of Israel Commission of NJ and does not accuse Israel of genocide. But he believes we should have our right to disagree without legal consequences or being accused by the government of antisemitism.
- Candidates should proclaim their opposition to IHRA. We are elevating the messages and communicating to the voting base the positions of candidates and there will be sophisticated NO IHRA voting guides and a well organized effort to assure those guides get to all of the right voters’ hands.
- We are continuing to seek candidates to challenge the independent route – as “Free Speech Unity” (Green Party also an option) to challenge especially in LDs where the sitting assembly members are YAY on IHRA and there are no opponents willing to courageously stand to protect our beloved free speech rights.
This news site reiterates this position relentlessly and will continue to do so. We are watching and reporting and defeat of IHRA in 2025 is a priority for voters across NJ that we are only articulating here. Nobody is waiting for FightBackBetter to tell them what to think – among the voters but we are all articulating our positions through FightBackBetter and avery other means to defend our beloved free speech rights in NJ.
