RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTI-SEMITISM UNANIMOUSLY PASSED BY LEGISLATURE

July 13, 2015 (Sacramento)-- The California State Assembly today passed SCR 35 - a resolution to condemn any act of Anti-Semitism at all publicly funded schools (including University of California and California State University campuses) in the State of California.

SCR 35, by State Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County), which passed the State Senate unanimously last month, was introduced after it became clear that acts of Anti-Semitism are on the rise in California and across the United States.  Examples of Anti-Semitic acts have included Nazi-Swastikas being spray-painted on a Jewish fraternity at UC Davis and a message stating "Zionists should be sent to the gas chamber” scrawled on a bathroom wall at UC Berkeley after an anti-Israel protest.

"SCR 35 sends a clear message that bigotry and hatred of Jewish people shall not be tolerated in California, and the Assembly's passage of this important message sends a clear message that hate of any religion is not to be tolerated," said Senator Stone.

Stone added, "In a world where Jewish people are being persecuted every day because of their religious beliefs, California just sent a message that such behavior should never be condoned and should always be condemned.  While free speech should be embraced, hate speech and Anti-Semitism should be abhorred."

The resolution, which includes both Republican and Democrat co-authors, passed both houses unanimously and had 75 co-authors.