In the heart of Utah, a state renowned for its tight-knit communities, the ethos of unity and resilience against hatred and religious persecution runs deep. Despite Utah’s small Jewish population, our elected leaders have consistently stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community, embodying the spirit of solidarity that defines us.

Recently, our state’s entire delegation to the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA), legislation that will help officials in law enforcement and higher education better protect American Jewish communities under attack.

Unfortunately, Sen. Mike Lee has expressed concern regarding the legislation.

Though there are not many who oppose this legislation, those who do often mistakenly believe that it would criminalize antisemitism. The legislation does no such thing; rather, it recognizes the most appropriate tool to define antisemitism: the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of the term — the same definition upon which President Trump relied in his historic 2019 Executive Order On Combatting Anti-Semitism. The AAA codifies at the federal level the definition of antisemitism that has already been embraced by the Trump administration and more than 30 states.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) called the House’s passage of the AAA a “momentous step towards rooting out antisemitic hate and protecting the rights of Jewish students on college campuses across America.” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) stated the IHRA definition is “a helpful tool to train law enforcement and inform educators about how to identify and combat anti-Semitism.”

And make no mistake — we need it in Utah.

Jewish communities in Utah are praying under the protection of armed off-duty police officers and spending more money than ever on security to protect themselves from antisemitic attacks. They are compelled to do so amid nationwide spikes in violent attacks against Jews and signs that local communities are going soft on hatred.

In March, a bar in Salt Lake City banned Zionists. A Park City school district resolved a U.S. Department of Education investigation that concluded students had drawn swastikas, made Nazi salutes, played Nazi music, searched for “Kill all Jews” on a school computer, dressed as Chassidic Jews for Halloween, told a classmate to commit suicide and made foreboding threats to kill Jews.

As former Sen. Orrin Hatch said in 2017, “amid a wave of rising anti-Semitism, showing solidarity with our Jewish friends is more important now than ever before.” But his successor, Sen. Lee, seemingly disagrees and seems to have accepted the altogether specious argument against the AAA and the IHRA definition — that it is somehow anti-Christian.

Some in Washington claim the AAA will prevent Christians from spreading the insulting idea that Jewish people killed Jesus. Never mind Jesus himself clearly states in the Gospel of John, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life. … No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” To insist mere mortals are culpable for the death of Christ is to deny His substitutionary sacrifice.

President Trump likely heard these same criticisms, none of which have proven true since he signed his Executive Order. The AAA will not criminalize antisemitism, gross mischaracterization of Scripture or false religious teachings.

Look no further that states like Texas, Tennessee and Florida and ask yourself if Christianity has been criminalized since the passage of IHRA? If the campus mayhem following the 10/7 Hamas massacre shows us anything, it is that our colleges and universities fundamentally do not understand what antisemitism is. We should give them the tool that has been used by millions to do just that.

The Senate should follow President Trump’s footsteps, and those of his predecessors in Utah, by fighting back against Jew-hatred. It’s time to send the AAA to the White House so it can be signed into law. It’s time for Congress to align their values with our values by fighting against hatred and defending religious liberty.

Pastor Jason Chatham leads Courageous Church in Salt Lake City. Pastor Robert Guiller leads Crossroads Christian Fellowship in Ogden.

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