Washington Democrats added a so-called “Hamas amendment” to the Holocaust education bill to ensure children are taught anti-Semitic lessons.
The move was aimed at appeasing a progressive constituency that wants Israel's attacks on Hamas terrorists in Gaza to be labeled genocide.
House Bill 2037 is a companion bill to a Senate bill introduced by state Sen. John Brown (R-Centralia) that would require public schools to teach classes about the Holocaust and other genocides. During April, International Genocide Prevention Awareness Month, public schools must also implement or promote age-appropriate educational activities about the Holocaust and genocide education.
The bill was not controversial, fueled by Republican concerns that one in five young Americans does not believe the Holocaust occurred. Worrying for Republicans was local support for Hamas terrorists, with many local residents chanting, “When the people are occupied, resistance is justified.” How will one side side with Hamas after the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel? Ignorance that is not covered in school. However, this bill may not provide the education it was designed to provide.
More about Jason Lantz: WSP sends anti-Israel Seattle protester to prosecutors on charges, hunts down other protesters
Anti-Semites push for 'Hamas amendments' to Holocaust education bill
Local anti-Semites launched an online campaign and flooded the state Legislature with demands to water down the Holocaust education bill and focus on: other Genocide. Still others wanted students to be taught about Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, even if it was an anti-Semitic slur.
Anti-Semitic activists have found a friend in U.S. Rep. Emily Alvarado, a Democrat from Seattle. She introduced what critics call the “Hamas amendment,” as it mandates the inclusion of Hamas perspectives in the curriculum. It was discussed in the name of addressing pro-Israel “bias” in the curriculum.
The original bill would have required the curriculum to be developed with the help of local organizations that teach about the Holocaust. Alvarado's amendment would add a second organization with “expertise to teach about genocide and crimes against humanity in different parts of the world and at different points in history. Those affected by genocide, including diaspora communities who have been made refugees or have experienced direct victimization. ” Republicans believe this is intended to include Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Jason Lantz includes: Students fight 'menstrual poverty' in Gaza for 'people with menstrual disorders'
“Anti-Semitism in the Name of Inclusivity” by Congresswoman Emily Alvarado
Alvarado said on the House floor that his amendments make the bill more “comprehensive.” Democrats will not allow HB 2037 to come to a vote without an amendment.
“This amendment is about inclusivity and accountability in teaching about the Holocaust and genocide, and I ask for your support,” she told Democrats on the House floor.
If you add curriculum around LGBT issues, don't water it down with a discussion of heterosexuality. Curriculum that focuses on Black and Asian Americans does not include white people. But when it comes to Jews, we must also include other people who have suffered the so-called genocide, because to the radical left Jews are just privileged white people. Jews are seen only as oppressors, not victims.
The amendment was also added at the last minute, without the traditional courtesy of alerting the bill's authors of its impending introduction.
State Rep. Emily Alvarado (D-Seattle) has introduced what critics rightly call a “Hamas amendment” to a bill that would require Holocaust education in public schools.
She argued that offering Hamas's perspective, which is essentially that Israel is committing genocide, is more “comprehensive.” pic.twitter.com/2EQDmiwGCq
— KTTH Radio's Jason Rantz (@jasonrantz) February 12, 2024
House Republicans were disgusted.
Rep. Travis Couture (R-Allyn) authored the companion bill in the House. He was angered by the Democratic Party's move to promote Hamas propaganda and called the amendments unnecessary.
“We were very concerned about 'diaspora communities who have lived experiences of survival and refugee status,'” Couture said on KTTH's Jason Lantz Show. “And what we discussed on the floor is that the Jews had already been expelled from their homeland when they were in Europe. And they were systematically destroyed during the Holocaust. I mean, they were destroyed by something. It doesn't mean they have become refugees. They were already refugees. ”
Couture said the purpose of the amendment is to include Palestinians. That happens to be what left-wing activists were also demanding.
“Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. And what's hard to understand is that a layman might read that amendment and not understand it. They might not read into it deeply. They might not understand it. But if you really pay attention to the bill and the law and pay attention to these red flags, you can see how Palestinians are included in that bill. Sho.”
Holocaust education bill likely to be scrapped
In the end, House Republicans passed a bill denying Democrats the opportunity to argue that it was their Republican opponents who killed the Holocaust education bill. They knew the local media wouldn't honestly explain what Democrats had done to water down the bill.
The fate of the bill in the Senate is unclear. Republican senators have vowed to fight to repeal the amendment if it comes to a vote.
“[Senate Republicans]will either remove the amendment or make it much clearer to not include people who burn babies alive or rape Jewish women in order to exist on earth. or change it,” Couture said.
Senate Republicans believe they can pass the bill cleanly, but it likely won't have support in the House.
Does Hamas use human shields? Have they raped Jewish women? The younger you are, the more likely you are to say “no.” They desperately need an education that doesn't impose Israel as an apartheid state filled with white oppressors.
Ultimately, the bill failed in the Senate, potentially depriving students of the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust. It's a victory for the Democratic Party and the Jew-hating base they enable.
More about Jason Lantz: Seattle teacher investigated for anti-Semitic class, called 'rape denier'
Listen to the Jason Lantz Show weekdays from 3-6pm on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here.Follow Jason X, formerly known as TwitterInstagram and Facebook.
