Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is introducing legislation enhancing and expanding Holocaust education throughout the United States as antisemitism continues growing and manifesting.
Sen. Gallego's Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act directs the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) to conduct a study on Holocaust education nationwide to improve teaching on genocide and antisemitism as a whole.
"Right now, Jewish communities across the country are facing real threats," said Sen. Gallego in his press release, adding, "Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have skyrocketed in recent years, and they're becoming deadlier. That's why I'm supporting this legislation to condemn this violence and make it clear that antisemitism has no place in Arizona, in our country, or anywhere in the world."
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The bill comes in the wake of several high-profile instances of antisemitism, including the takeover of the Columbia University library by pro-Palestine activists in early May, who chanted the infamous slogan, "There is only one solution, intifada revolution," a call for violence against Israel and the Jewish people.
Later that month, Elias Rodriguez, another activist, shouted "Free Palestine" as he murdered Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn, a couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
Shortly after, at the beginning of June, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian illegal alien, threw Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, while similarly shouting "Free Palestine!"
In Arizona, State Representative Michael Way (R-15) introduced House Bill 2867 in February, which would have made public school and college instructors personally liable for antisemitic behavior or instruction.
"Our schools should be places of learning, not breeding grounds for hatred and discrimination," said State Rep. Way, adding, "Arizona has zero tolerance for antisemitism, and this bill ensures that our classrooms are free from the toxic ideology that fuels division and hostility. No teacher, administrator, or student should be forced to endorse or participate in any form of antisemitic conduct."
Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) vetoed the bill in June, citing concerns about its enforceability and stating that it unfairly targeted public schools, as existing channels already hold teachers accountable for unethical conduct.
