SUNRISE, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) said he had signed into law a bill requiring the State Department to monitor global anti-Semitism and rate countries annually on their treatment of Jews.
"This nation will keep watch; we will make sure that the ancient impulse of anti-Semitism never finds a home in the modern world," Bush said as he campaigned in the key battleground state of Florida. The state's Jewish population is the third largest in the world after Israel and New York.
The US State Department had opposed the legislation, saying it was unnecessary as the department already compiles such information in its annual reports on human rights and religious freedom.
"Extending freedom also means disrupting the evil of anti-Semitism," Bush told thousands of cheering supporters packed into a sports arena usually used by the Florida Panthers professional ice hockey team.
"Today, I signed the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. This law commits the government to keep a record of anti-Semitic acts throughout the world, and also a record of responses to those acts," he said.
Florida is the richest haul among the battleground states expected to decide the November 2 presidential election, with 27 electoral college votes out of the 270 needed to win.
Jewish voters are thought to favor Democrats historically, but the Bush campaign hopes that his strong support for Israel and aggressive outreach efforts could win a majority of Florida's sizeable Jewish community.
The State Department had drawn fire for its position from Jewish groups -- which wield significant political power especially during a presidential election year -- and in September, more than 100 prominent Americans signed a letter to US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) saying that stance was "wrong."
"The fight against anti-Semitism deserves specific, focused attention," said the letter which was signed by former Republican vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp and ex-UN ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick among others.
The bill, known as the Global Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, was introduced by California Democratic Representative Tom Lantos (news, bio, voting record), the only Holocaust survivor in the US Congress, in response to recent acts of anti-Semitism in Europe and the Middle East.
Jewish groups have hailed passage of the bill which they said provided a new avenue to fight anti-Semitism.
Under the legislation, the State Department will have to produce an annual report on anti-Semitism around the world and form a specific office headed by a special envoy to document anti-Semitic abuses and design strategies to combat them.
It requires the department to document acts of physical violence against Jews, their property, cemeteries and places of worship abroad, as well as local governments' responses to them and take note of instances of anti-Jewish propaganda and governments' readiness to promote unbiased school curricula.
By tradition, Bush, who signed the legislation on his official Air Force One jet on his way to Florida, will treat the law's requirements more like strong advice and guiding principles because of the separation of powers.
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The state's Jewish population is the third largest in the world after Israel and New York.
Did not now there are lots of Jewish in Florida.
Anyway , it is obvious attempt to get more Jewish vote.
I personlly dont think such law is necessary, the state department have
somthing similar for checking Anti- Semitism.
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Election year pandering. Both Bush and Kerry are doing it. I note they both also threw a bone to Greek American votes, both making comments about what a great ethnic constituency we are. Won't do either of the suck-ups any good, because Greek Americans know they're empty words. The Bush administration has been the most anti-Hellenic administration in history. Curiosly, or perhaps not curiously, the chief culprits in the Bush cabinet who are the most anti-Hellenic and pro-Turkey are Jews. Once again demonstrating that it's Israeli foreign policy that is their chief interest in how they craft US foreign policy. Not that anyone doubted that anyway.
E Tan, E Epi Tas!
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It's great to hear that there is a law that actually is good for us, but they say that laws are made so that they could be broken.
I really hope that this law will get more people to not hate us, It will make us feel more welcome.
I hope that this law is in support of jews only, not arabs. I don't know why they hate us (jews) so much (probably because we are smarter and know how to make money and buisness better than anyone else), We don't make any problems like the arabs do, anyway I think that they should like jews and hate arabs (or muslims), because they are the main reason to why the world is a bad place.
Just imagine the world without muslims, arabs and terror.
I know that I am getting of topic here, but i am just trying to show you that jews did nothing wrong.
anyway stop listening to CNN and BBC, they are pro arabs and tell tons of stuff that aint true, and make the jews look bad.
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It's great to hear that there is a law that actually is good for us, but they say that laws are made so that they could be broken.
I really hope that this law will get more people to not hate us, It will make us feel more welcome.
I hope that this law is in support of jews only, not arabs. I don't know why they hate us (jews) so much (probably because we are smarter and know how to make money and buisness better than anyone else), We don't make any problems like the arabs do, anyway I think that they should like jews and hate arabs (or muslims), because they are the main reason to why the world is a bad place.
Just imagine the world without muslims, arabs and terror.
I know that I am getting of topic here, but i am just trying to show you that jews did nothing wrong.
anyway stop listening to CNN and BBC, they are pro arabs and tell tons of stuff that aint true, and make the jews look bad.
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I will answer all of those comments you have just made.
This law will get more people to hate you because now it is segregating who gets better treatment, and will further fuel and give proof for Neo Nazis of a Zionist Conspiracy. Jews are not smart, they are sly. They take all the smart people of the community they infest and convert them, not good. Jews dont make any problems? Let's see, is that why no1 likes you and has expelled you from their domain? How about Zionism? yes we all loved being part of the game. How about Jewish controlled Communism? Jewish controled america that has an imperialistic attitude? THe main reason why the world is bad is Jews, the creators of Islam, Atheism, Secularism, Christianity, and Communism. THe first terrorists were Jews, and the world without Jews will make it much more realistic and peaceful, without any lawyers or politicians manipulating the world for their own gain. Arabs are not intelligent, they are a threat to NO BODY. Anyways, CNN and BBC are unbiased sources, and all the networks are BIASED that make jews look good.
Hopefully, you will understand that I am attacking your Anti-Islamic/Arab views with Anti-Jewish ones. I just think you should have a fair opponent and not let zealous abdul get involved.
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to hayq,
Ha Ha Ha,
what you wrote is the dumbest thing I have ever herd, every thing is wrong!
But what can you expect from a comunnist that is pro arab!
This message has been edited by shocktrooper on Oct 19, 2004 9:26 AM This message has been edited by shocktrooper on Oct 18, 2004 11:15 AM
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Do you think Jewish people are the only ones to have suffered discrimmination/genocide? And do you think severe discrimmination should only be checked if it`s against Jewish people only? Or do you think a more general "anti-global discrimmination" law would have been better?
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too many Jews think they are the only ones who have suffered throughout history. Or, at least they think that only their suffering matters. The total self-absorption of too many of them is one of the reasons they're disliked.
As a Greek American, it totally blows my mind to see so many American Jews promoting the cause of Turkey in the United States. The same Turkey that persecuted my ancestors and committed genocide against them. Thats when I realized that too many American Jews aren't concerned with the suffering of Greeks or Armenians. They're only concerned with whats good for Israeli foreign policy. Shame on them.
E Tan, E Epi Tas!
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exactly. As an Armenian, and a descendant of people who have suffered from Jewish Zionism, I am disgusted that history is being re-written. In History books, 10 pages for WW2, 5 of it have nothing more to do than the discrimination of Jews. You are not the only people in the world, however, you cant blam them as their torrah does say they have the RIGHT to be racist against others.
And I believe I am right. I am an Armenian who believes in Socialism, I do not care about Arabs but I care about JUSTICE. And this is a strict violation of Justice.
Furthermore, i feel as if this law was passed by jews to eliminate the educated peoples of the world and further "dumben" the world so you can get away with corporate scandals.
Explain to me, how am I wrong? I really would like to see your point of this.
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I did not say that we are the only once who suffer, and its not true that alot of jews thik that they are the only once who suffer. But arabs do.
I don't know why you hate jews so much, probably because your arabs or support arabs.
but any way lets get back to the subject.
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Who said I'm bigotted against Jews? Thats not true. But it is true that I'm very angry with many American Jews and their organizations for promoting US policy that favors Turkey at the expense of Greece/Cyprus. With the atrocious human rights record of Turkey against my people and the Armenians, I'm totally at a loss as to how American Jews can side with that nation. The only answer is today Turkey and Israel are close allies and forget what the Turks have done historically.
Israelis and American Jews always talk about the Holocaust and how that needs to be considered when we look at their behavior against Arabs in Palestine. Always the Holocaust. Then they turn around and make friendly with the nation that committed the first Genocides of the twentieth century!
As I've said, it appears the only suffering that matters to them is theirs, no one elses. And everyone sees that.
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It is not Jews or Judaism (although at times it is) but Zionism that I am against. The imperialistic expansion has killed Armenians, Greeks, Russians, Chinese, EVERY European race, Latin Americans, and Africans. Just so the Zionists can gain power, the whole world went through the "century of warfare".
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Current Topic - Bush signs global anti-Semitism law
