Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a crucial bill designed to combat antisemitism in schools, rejecting legislation that would have given students and parents the power to hold educators accountable for antisemitic teachings or behaviors.
Key Takeaways
- Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed an antisemitism bill that would have allowed students and parents to sue teachers, claiming it unfairly targeted public educators while exempting private schools.
- Antisemitic incidents have surged by 600% since September 2023, with college campuses becoming hotbeds for Jewish discrimination and harassment.
- Republican governors from Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Virginia are leading the fight against antisemitism with concrete policies requiring schools to treat antisemitism as seriously as other forms of discrimination.
- GOP lawmakers are pressing college presidents to explain their handling of antisemitism on campuses, as many institutions have been accused of failing to protect Jewish students.
- Republican-led states are implementing Holocaust education requirements and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in school codes of conduct.
Governor Hobbs Blocks Antisemitism Protection Legislation
Arizona’s Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has drawn criticism after vetoing HB 2867, a Republican-sponsored bill designed to address antisemitism in educational settings. The legislation would have allowed students and parents to sue teachers over allegations of antisemitism, creating a mechanism for accountability in public schools, community colleges, and universities. Hobbs defended her decision by claiming the bill unfairly targeted educators and was not genuinely focused on combating antisemitism, despite growing concerns about rising incidents of Jewish discrimination nationwide.
“Unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism. It’s about attacking our teachers. It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits,” said Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Michael Way, countered that the legislation was essential for preventing antisemitism in classrooms. Way pointed to documented cases of harassment and discrimination against Jewish students as justification for stronger protections. Critics of Hobbs’ veto argue that by rejecting the bill, she has prioritized protecting teachers from accountability over safeguarding Jewish students from discrimination and harassment, highlighting a troubling partisan divide on addressing antisemitism.
Chairman @RepWalberg and several Members of the Committee just sent a letter to @Harvard's president to investigate reports of discrimination in the school's hiring practices—in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
These reports come as the school fails to address antisemitism on… https://t.co/jARJDDqCil pic.twitter.com/DfZP31pF0n— House Committee on Education & Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) June 10, 2025
Republican Governors Take Strong Stand Against Rising Antisemitism
While Arizona’s Democratic leadership has blocked antisemitism legislation, Republican governors across the country are taking decisive action. Governors from Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Virginia have implemented comprehensive measures to combat the alarming 600% increase in antisemitic incidents since September 2023. These GOP leaders have signed executive orders and legislation requiring public schools to address antisemitism with the same seriousness as other forms of discrimination, establishing a stark contrast with their Democratic counterparts.
“It’s time for leaders of conscience to draw a bright line, translating rhetoric into robust action to protect all members of the Jewish community from the scourge of antisemitism,” wrote Bill Lee, Sarah Sanders, Kevin Stitt, and Glenn Youngkin.
These Republican administrations have instituted concrete policies, including designating Title VI coordinators specifically to handle antisemitic complaints, establishing working groups to document and address incidents, and incorporating education on antisemitism and Jewish-American history into school curricula. Importantly, they have required student codes of conduct to define antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance standard, providing clear guidelines for identifying and addressing this form of discrimination.
Congressional Republicans Demand Accountability from College Presidents
The House Committee on Education and Workforce, led by Republican representatives, has taken up the fight against campus antisemitism through aggressive oversight hearings. GOP lawmakers have questioned college presidents about their handling of antisemitic incidents following the Israel-Hamas war, focusing on enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students. These hearings have revealed troubling patterns of institutional failure to address antisemitism, with some administrators unable or unwilling to detail disciplinary actions taken against professors promoting antisemitic views.
Republican Representative Elise Stefanik has been particularly pointed in her questioning, pressing Haverford College’s president about specific disciplinary actions against a professor accused of antisemitism – information the college president declined to disclose. While some Democrats have attempted to characterize these hearings as attacks on free speech, Republicans maintain that violence and threats against Jewish students are not protected by the First Amendment and must be addressed directly.
“Let us be clear: No student should face threats in the classroom or on campus, nor feel targeted because of their religion or heritage,” stated Bill Lee, Sarah Sanders, Kevin Stitt, and Glenn Youngkin.
Education as a Weapon Against Hatred
Republican-led states are emphasizing education as a critical tool in combating antisemitism. By expanding Holocaust education requirements and promoting a deeper understanding of Jewish-American history, these initiatives aim to address the root causes of antisemitic beliefs. The approach recognizes that many young Americans lack basic knowledge about historical antisemitism and the Holocaust, creating vulnerability to modern antisemitic propaganda and conspiracy theories that have proliferated on college campuses and in public discourse.
“We believe in free speech, but the First Amendment does not protect acts of violence or threats of physical harm,” emphasized Bill Lee, Sarah Sanders, Kevin Stitt, and Glenn Youngkin.
The contrast between Republican and Democratic approaches to combating antisemitism has become increasingly clear. While GOP governors are implementing concrete policies and accountability measures, Democrat-led states like Arizona have rejected legislation that would provide recourse for victims of antisemitism in educational settings. This divergence reflects broader ideological differences in addressing discrimination and protecting vulnerable minority groups in American society, with Republicans taking a more direct approach focused on consequences for antisemitic behavior.
