Resource warns against nationwide efforts to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/29/2025) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and CAIR Action, its advocacy affiliate, today released a new joint factsheet, Voices of Resistance Against the IHRA Definition and the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
That publication documents how the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and the misleadingly titled Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) are being weaponized across the country to silence advocacy against genocide and for Palestinian human rights.
READ: CAIR & CAIR Action’s Factsheet: “Voices of Resistance Against the IHRA Definition and the Antisemitism Awareness Act.”
In a statement, CAIR Action Executive Director Basim Elkarra said: “From Congress to the White House, from Trenton to Sacramento, IHRA is being misused to police speech and punish dissent. Lawmakers in New Jersey and California must reject this dangerous framework. Civil rights protections should never be weaponized to silence students, stifle debate, or undermine democracy.”
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said: “Instead of protecting Jewish communities from real antisemitism, the IHRA definition and the Antisemitism Awareness Act weaponize civil rights law to shield Israel from accountability and silence Americans who advocate for Palestinian human rights and against genocide. This factsheet is a tool for communities, educators, and policymakers to push back against censorship and defend the First Amendment.”
The factsheet highlights how this dangerous trend is unfolding at every level of government:
- Congress: The AAA (H.R. 1007 / S. 558) would direct the Department of Education to enforce IHRA in Title VI investigations, risking widespread censorship on college campuses. Though the Senate HELP Committee delayed a vote after bipartisan free-speech objections, the bill remains live in the House.
- Federal Agencies: Building on Trump’s Executive Order 13899, the administration has ordered “additional measures” for agencies to apply IHRA in civil, criminal, and immigration enforcement – targeting students, educators, and advocates critical of Israel
- States: Legislatures in New Jersey and Wisconsin have advanced IHRA-based bills, while California Governor Gavin Newsom is currently considering AB 715, which civil liberties advocates warn will chill classroom debate on Israel/Palestine.
- Local Governments: New York City (Executive Order 52) and Highland Park, Illinois (ordinance) recently adopted IHRA, showing how local governments are embedding this definition into law and policy.
The CAIR and CAIR Action resource compiles testimony from legal scholars, Jewish organizations, human rights groups, and members of Congress rejecting the misuse of IHRA. Voices include:
- Kenneth Stern, the original drafter of IHRA, denounced its weaponization as “an attack on academic freedom and free speech.”
- Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) who warned that codifying IHRA “threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.”
- Jewish Voice for Peace, which stated that legislating IHRA only “secures … impunity for decades of violating international law and trampling on Palestinian human rights.”
By releasing this factsheet, CAIR and CAIR Action reaffirm their commitment to combating real antisemitism and all forms of hate while defending the constitutional rights of Americans to speak, organize, and advocate for justice in Palestine without fear of reprisal. The organizations call on policymakers, educators, journalists, and community leaders to use this resource to push back against censorship, protect free expression, and ensure that civil rights protections are never distorted into tools of political repression.
CAIR is a 501(c)3 organization and America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
CAIR Action is a 501(c)4 organization. Its mission is to engage, educate, and mobilize Muslim voters, train emerging leaders, and champion policy priorities that enhance the well-being and representation of Muslim communities. Through its work, CAIR Action aims to foster a more equitable and inclusive democratic society where the rights and voices of Muslims are acknowledged and respected.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; Basim Elkarra, Executive Director, CAIR Action, belkarra@cairaction.org; CAIR Action Communications, media@cairaction.org
