HOUSE MEMORIAL 18

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Rod Montoya and John Block and Cathrynn N. Brown

and Stefani Lord

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AND SUPPORTING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

 

     WHEREAS, both the United States constitution and the constitution of New Mexico guarantee freedom of religion and establish a commitment to the principle of tolerance that is essential to the progress of the American people and the diverse communities and religious groups of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, acts of hate, intimidation, discrimination and violence based on ethnicity or religion have no place in New Mexico, the United States or the global community; and

     WHEREAS, antisemitism is a centuries-old form of bigotry and racism faced by Jewish people; and

     WHEREAS, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel, antisemitic incidents in the United States have occurred at the highest rates recorded over a two-month period since the anti-defamation league began tracking those numbers in 1979; and

     WHEREAS, between October 7 and December 7, 2023, a total of two thousand thirty-one antisemitic incidents took place, an increase from four hundred sixty-five incidents during the same period in 2022 and a three hundred thirty-seven percent increase in antisemitic incidents year-over-year; and

     WHEREAS, the antisemitic incidents that occurred during this time period include forty incidents of physical assault, three hundred thirty-seven incidents of vandalism, seven hundred forty-nine incidents of verbal or written harassment and nine hundred five rallies spreading antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric in support of terrorist acts against the state of Israel; and

     WHEREAS, the slogan "from the river to the sea", a rallying cry for the eradication of the state of Israel and the Jewish people, has been used by anti-Israel protestors in the United States and across the globe; and

     WHEREAS, anti-Israel rallies with overt messages of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in support of terrorist acts against the state of Israel were held in Albuquerque on October 28, 2023, in Las Cruces on November 9, 2023 and in Santa Fe on December 3, 2023; and

     WHEREAS, on November 4, 2023, during an anti-Israel protest in Washington, D.C., rioters shouted their support for the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre and other acts of terror targeting Israel, calling for the end of the state of Israel and spewing hateful and vile language amplifying antisemitic sentiment; and

     WHEREAS, during that same protest, rioters vandalized property by defacing stone pillars around the perimeter of the white house with blood-red hand prints and spray painting "death to Israel" and "glory to our martyrs" on buildings in the District of Columbia; and

     WHEREAS, on November 15, 2023, anti-Israel protestors illegally blocked and violently attacked the democratic national committee headquarters, endangering the lives of the people inside, including members of congress, and injuring six capitol police officers; and

     WHEREAS, it is imperative to never forget the tragedy and horror of the Holocaust and to ensure that history is never repeated; and

     WHEREAS, all Americans regardless of their faith have a stake in opposing antisemitism and in ending all forms of bigotry and hatred based on religion, race and place of birth and origin;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that all instances of antisemitism occurring in New Mexico, the United States and across the globe be strongly condemned and denounced and all forms of terror, hate, discrimination and harassment targeting members of the Jewish community be rejected; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico house of representatives affirm strong support for the Jewish community and for the state of Israel; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New Mexico university and college presidents be called on to condemn acts of antisemitism on their campuses and to take every action possible to protect the safety of students who feel threatened or intimidated by protestors conducting anti-Israel rallies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New Mexico's elected officials be called on to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, cemeteries and other institutions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New Mexico's public officials be called on to address antisemitic actions and rhetoric to ensure that the state of New Mexico lives up to the constitutional mandate of freedom of religion and the embedded principle of tolerance that is so essential to preserving the republic; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the United States ambassador to Israel, New Mexico's congressional delegation and the governor.

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