Pro-Israel leaders and activists are expressing frustration and disappointment that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not yet planned a vote on a bill aimed at combating the rising tide of anti-Semitism on college campuses.

Many fear that the delay could lead to the bill being “diffused” — or potentially derailed entirely.

“This is a very good bill. It is a very important bill. It comes at a very, very urgent time in terms of the dynamics of our country, and it should be passed, and it should be passed and signed into law immediately. I mean, the sooner the better,” said Elan Carr, CEO of the American Israel Council and former US special envoy to combat anti-Semitism.

“There is deep disappointment that this has been slow,” added Rabbi Abrahm Cooper, former chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. “I think in many ways taking this tactic just highlights the fact that there are obviously elements of Democratic Party which are anti-Israel”.

Carr echoed Cooper’s suggestion that the delay could be due to concerns that “this bill could reveal cracks that would be embarrassing to some.”

CNN’s Jennings calls students ‘Hitlerists’, anti-Semitism on college campuses: ‘Open your eyes’

Read on the Fox News app

The bill in question is the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, passed bipartisanly on May 1.

It seeks to compel the Department of Education to adopt the same definition of “anti-Semitism” used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental organization that aims to unite governments and experts to promote and advance Holocaust education. Under the bill, the IHRA definition would become the standard for use in Title VI cases brought by the Department of Education.

Schumer has promised to bring the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act to a vote before the end of the year, according to Axios, who reported that he wants to attach the measure to the mandatory defense bill to be voted on during the lame-duck session of Congress after the election. The movement would pressure any potential dissident to associate with it.

Conformable Jewish Insider, Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin opposed the bill on the grounds that it limited free speech, while New York Times reported that Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also voiced his own objections.

A Schumer spokesman indicated that the majority leader’s strategy is to attach the bill to another measure that senators would feel compelled to vote on.

“Senator Schumer has a long and strong history of fighting anti-Semitism, and the goal of passing anti-Semitism legislation has long been to use a viable, binding vehicle to accomplish this. We fully intend to take it to the end of the year.” said Schumer communications director Angelo Roefaro.

American Jewish Committee Director of Policy and Political Affairs Julie Rayman emphasized Schumer’s “serious commitment to pass impactful legislation to counter anti-Semitism in the Senate.”

But other supporters of the bill’s passage, such as Carr, expressed fear that Schumer’s decision to delay the vote until the lame-duck session — which begins after the November election — could jeopardize its chances of passage .

Fox News Newsletter ‘Anti-Semitism Exposed’: Jewish Students Feel Targeted As College Resumes

“One thing I don’t want to happen is that this is going to be tweaked in ways that actually make it more harmful than doing nothing,” Carr said. “My concern is that it could be watered down, and the end product could damage the very causes that this bill is supposed to advance.”

Carr pointed to a similar situation that happened in the Indiana state legislature, where a bill that passed both chambers was ultimately vetoed by the governor because it failed to incorporate the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.

“Senator Schumer’s choice to delay a vote on the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act by attaching it to unrelated legislation is disappointing, risking unnecessary setbacks,” said Florida GOP Rep. Carlos Giménez. Giménez voted in favor of the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act earlier this year and has introduced various legislation targeting hatred of the Jewish community. “Urge Senator Schumer to act now — protecting students from anti-Semitism must be a direct, bipartisan commitment that is not sidelined by political calculations.”

Fox News bulletin ‘Antisemitism Exposed’: Chicago Jewish community rocked by shootings

Gerard Filitti is senior counsel for the Lawfare Project, a nonprofit organization that provides pro bono legal assistance to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community. He argued that in light of the Education and Workforce Committee report chronicling Schumer’s laissez-faire attitude toward anti-Semitism on campus, there is “a very real concern” that Schumer may not ever bring up the awareness of antisemitism for a vote.

“Senator Schumer’s lack of leadership on one of the most pressing civil rights issues in our country is astounding,” Filitti argued. “Schumer had six full months to bring this bill to a vote, and his failure to do so is not only puzzling, but rather troubling; antisemitism is not and should not be a partisan political issue. As with other forms of racism and bigotry, it takes bipartisanship to combat Jew-hatred, and in light of the ongoing crisis of anti-Semitism we see on college campuses, this bill should have passed the Senate months ago.”

Source of the original article: Opponents of anti-Semitism on campus frustrated by Schumer’s failure to pass legislation: ‘amazing’