Georgia codifies antisemitism after yearlong fight

• The passage comes nearly a year after a similar bill did not advance during the 2023 session because of concerns over its wording.
• The legislation also passed as the war between Hamas and Israel will soon enter its fourth month.

The latest: A signing ceremony for House Bill 30 will be held at 2:30pm at the State Capitol.

• It passed both chambers of the General Assembly with wide bipartisan support.

What they're saying: Wilker told Axios Tuesday that the passage and Kemp's signature is "a true demonstration of responding to the needs of the Jewish community at this time."

• "It matters to the Jewish community who often feel unseen and unheard when we call out antisemitism."
• State Rep. Esther Panitch, who is the only Jewish member of the General Assembly, added the passage "is a validation of what we've been telling them that has been happening that people just didn't understand or want to believe."

Zoom in: The bill incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism.

• The definition points out antisemitism can be "directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."
• The Alliance also lists several examples, including harmful stereotypes about Jewish people controlling government, media organizations or the economy.

The other side: That definition "conflates Judaism with a pro-Israel ideology," said Julia Falcone, a Jewish person who expressed opposition to the bill at the Jan. 22 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the legislation.

• Asim Javed, senior community organizer with the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, told the committee that "while addressing antisemitism is crucial," the definition "stifles our First Amendment rights by censoring any criticisms of Israel, and any attempt to advocate for Palestinian liberation."

• State Rep. Ruwa Romman, the only Palestinian American in the legislature, told Axios that the legislation also doesn't address any of the recent incidents that have targeted Jewish people in Georgia.
• "To me personally, the thing that is truly crushing is the community is going to feel like they're being protected, and as soon as it's time to actually use this bill, they're going to find it's not usable," she said.

The big picture: Wilker told Axios the language in the bill will only be applied when someone targets a Jewish person or institution — not when someone says "awful things about Jews."

• "There is no free speech issue in question because of this bill. This bill is utilized once an incident occurs. This is not about quelling free speech."

Go deeper: Antisemitic incidents surge 360% after Hamas attack on Israel