Ohio Senate Passes Bill Aimed at Outlawing Criticism of Israel, Criminalizing Gospel

By Chris Menahan – Information Liberation

The GOP-controlled Ohio Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at outlawing criticism of Israel, criminalizing preaching the Gospel and expanding hate crime “ethnic intimidation” laws to fight “antisemitism.”

They know the bill blatantly infringes on the First Amendment but they simply don’t care.

WATCH:

From Ohio Capital Journal, “Ohio Senate moves antisemitism definition on same day it’s criticized for infringing on free speech”:

The Ohio Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would use an international group’s definition of antisemitism in state law, a move that garnered strong opinions both in support and against it in committee as recently as the morning of the chamber vote.

Ohio Senate Bill 297, passed with a 27 to 4 vote, would add to Ohio law the definition of anti-semitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and used in an executive order by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2022 encouraging state agencies, including state higher education institutions to use the definition as a guide for agency investigations.

The IHRA identifies antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

In addition to cementing the definition into Ohio law, the bill would broaden the criminal offense of “ethnic intimidation” to add “riot and aggravated riot committed by reason of the race, color, religion or national origin of another person or group of persons.”

Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed support for the bill. Bill sponsor Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, used part of his floor speech to talk about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

[…] Sen. Paula Hicks Hudson, D-Toledo, was one of four senators to vote against the bill. Her opposition comes from “heated” conversations she’s had with constituents in her area.

She said S.B. 297 carves out a “super-protected class,” and doesn’t help solve the problem of antisemitism and hate speech.

“When we look at the language of this bill, and we look at how it comes down to what the law should and should not do, what we are doing is criminalizing free speech,” Hicks Hudson said. “We are not coming up with an answer by doing this.”

The GOP senators insisted the bill wasn’t an attack on free speech and wouldn’t be used for criminal prosecutions even though that’s the entire purpose of the legislation.

As Matt Gaetz pointed out last year as the “Antisemitism Awareness Act” was being rammed through the House, the IHRA definition of “antisemitism” would criminalize the Gospel itself:

For all we know, that’s what actually put the kibosh on Gaetz’s nomination (he deleted that tweet due to controversy it caused during his nomination for Attorney General).

Multiple states have already passed bills aimed at codify this IHRA definition into law without a care in the world for our First Amendment rights.

Every representative knows they’ll be rewarded handsomely with donations and positive media coverage for pledging allegiance to Israel over America.

“As of August 2024, 35 states plus the District of Columbia, either through proclamation, executive order, or legislation, are using or have recognized the importance of the IHRA definition,” the American Jewish Committee reported earlier this year.

None of these Republicans or Democrats would ever dare pass a bill aimed at outlawing criticism of America, making criticism of Americans a “hate crime” and criminalizing preaching religions other than Christianity — yet they’re all happy and eager to do the same on behalf of a foreign power.

As a reminder, Jewish Ohio Reps. Max Miller (R) and Casey Weinstein (D) put their partisan differences aside last year to demand a Christian woman “delete” a “bigoted” Twitter post claiming salvation can only come through Jesus Christ because, as Miller said, “God says that Jewish people are the chosen ones.”

Two hundred forty-eight years of free speech and equality before the law in America needs to come to an end to protect the “chosen ones” from criticism.