United States Senator Deb Fischer’s Weekly Column
This past week’s terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, was a shocking and heartbreaking act of hatred. It demands not only our condemnation, but our collective moral clarity. Antisemitism — in any form, anywhere — is a poison that threatens the very values on which this country was founded. We must name it, reject it, and work together to root it out.
In moments like these, words are not enough. We grieve with the victims’ families, we stand with our Jewish neighbors, and we ask: how do we ensure this doesn’t happen again?
Tragically, the attack in Boulder was not an isolated incident. Just 11 days earlier, two Israeli Embassy staffers were murdered in Washington, D.C. in another antisemitic attack. The victims, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were a young couple who were targeted for no other reason than their Jewish identity. These attacks are stark reminders that hatred sadly still finds footholds in our country.
In the face of rising antisemitism, we cannot afford silence or half-measures. We must precisely identify the threat and be deliberate in our response. That’s why I cosponsored S. 558, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would direct the U.S. Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when evaluating Title VI civil rights violations.
This working definition is clear-eyed and comprehensive. It defines antisemitism as: “A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Such clarity matters. It gives schools and institutions a practical framework for recognizing and responding to antisemitism before it escalates, and it ensures that Jewish students are protected under the same civil rights laws as everyone else.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, in the year following Hamas’ October 7 attacks in 2023, antisemitic rhetoric and threats in the United States surged by over 200%. This should alarm us all. That’s why we must remember what the fight against antisemitism is about: real people feeling unsafe in their schools, their places of worship, and their communities.
Hatred thrives in ambiguity. That’s why clarity — moral and legal — is essential. We cannot fight what we are unwilling to name. And we cannot protect what we do not define.
As Nebraskans, we stand for fairness, dignity, and respect. Those values are tested in times like these — and they must prevail. We honor the victims not only with remembrance, but with action. As we grieve, let us recommit ourselves to confronting evil with both conscience and courage.Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
