Who would oppose legislation to outlaw antisemitism? More people than you might think.

First, there is the thorny question of definitions. Consider: How do you define ”antisemitism”? As with some attempts to define racism, you may find yourself settling on a version of the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous definition of obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” But, as with “racism” and other words that draw legal limits on inhuman acts or beliefs, there is no moral off-ramp called “it depends.”

That’s why I found it ironic that the debate over a bill that passed Wednesday in the Republican-controlled House to curb antisemitism began with heated discussion over definitions.

Eager to do something in response to a nationwide wave of pro-Palestinian protests at colleges, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill aimed at addressing reports of rising antisemitism on campuses. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican,........

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