Two bills in Tennessee aim to fight Jew-hatred

(JNS) — The State of Tennessee adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred in May 2022. On Jan. 2, Mark Pody, a Republican member of the state’s Senate, introduced a resolution that called for that definition of antisemitism to be used when the state makes legal determinations about bias.

“We want to go forward to have a safe place for Jews in Tennessee,” Pody told JNS.

“There have been things this year that have targeted the Jewish community that are not acceptable in Tennessee,” the non-Jewish state senator added. “We wanted to codify this into law to make sure everyone feels safe and secure.”

Pody, who told JNS that he is “a very strong supporter of Israel” and of Jews, joined the state legislature 14 years ago. He came out “strongly” against anti-Israel protests on campuses after the Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, he told JNS. He added that he has met with Jewish leaders and community members in the state “every Thursday” since the summer to discuss how Tennessee can keep serving its Jewish community.

Barbara Dab, chief communications officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, told JNS that the Federation “is aware and engaged with the process around this legislation.”

“We are grateful for Sen. Pody’s leadership on this issue and are looking forward to working further with local and state leaders,” Dab told JNS. She added that there has been a rise in Jew-hatred more broadly, but “most of the antisemitic actions have come from groups outside of Tennessee and Nashville.”

Pody also introduced state Senate legislation on Jan. 2 that mirrors a bill that William Lamberth, a Republican, introduced in the state House. The bills, titled Protecting Everyone Against Crime and Extremism Act, propose to make “new misdemeanor offenses, including intentionally refusing to give one’s name or giving a false name to a law enforcement officer who has lawfully detained or arrested the person and requested the information.”

It also criminalizes littering or trespassing “with the intent to unlawfully intimidate another from the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the State of Tennessee.”

The latter bill comes nearly a year after dozens of neo-Nazis, bearing black swastika flags, marched at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville in February 2024.

The bill “represents Tennessee’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from antisemitism, intimidation and extremism,” Pody said, per WZTV in Nashville. “Recent incidents in our state have shown that hate groups aim to spread fear and division, targeting individuals based on their identity and beliefs. This is unacceptable.”