To the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, and the relevant federal agencies:

We call on the United States government to clearly recognize that denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination can constitute antisemitism and anti-Jewish discrimination.

The claim that the Jewish people alone are not entitled to national self-determination, or that the existence of the State of Israel is inherently racist, applies a discriminatory standard to Jews as a people. When such claims are used to exclude, threaten, harass, or discriminate against Jews because of their identity or connection to Israel, they should be addressed as evidence of antisemitic discrimination.

The United States has already recognized this concern through its use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, which identifies denial of Jewish self-determination, including claims that Israel’s existence is a racist endeavor, as a possible contemporary manifestation of antisemitism. Federal policy should apply this principle consistently and transparently.

We therefore urge the federal government to:

1. State clearly that anti-Zionism that denies Jewish self-determination or treats Jews by a discriminatory standard can constitute antisemitism and anti-Jewish discrimination.
   2. Ensure that federal agencies consider this conduct when investigating discrimination and harassment, including in federally funded educational programs.
   3. Protect Jewish individuals and communities from exclusion, threats, and harassment based on their Jewish identity or connection to Israel.
   4. Make clear that criticism of Israeli government policies, like criticism of any other government, is not automatically antisemitic, and that all enforcement must respect the First Amendment.
   Jewish people deserve the same protection from discrimination and the same right to collective self-determination afforded to other peoples.

We urge the United States government to affirm this principle and act on it.