ATLANTA – State Representative John Carson (R-Marietta) welcomes a letter of support from key faith leaders which urges the passage of House Bill 30, legislation previously introduced during the 2023 Legislative Session. Under HB 30, the Official Code of Georgia would adopt the internationally recognized definition of “antisemitism” as adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016.
“This letter, which demonstrates the overwhelming level of popular support for the bill, comes at an important time for other faith communities to stand in solidarity with their Jewish neighbors against the recent rise in antisemitism,” said Rep. Carson. “Georgia’s GOP-led legislature is working to address the problem with moral clarity. HB 30 utilizes the IHRA definition of antisemitism, the clearest and most widely-accepted definition of antisemitism which will be used as a vital tool in helping state officials assess and properly respond to this growing threat.”
“Language matters because language shapes the culture,” said Jentezen Franklin, a Senior Pastor at Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Georgia and a supporter of HB 30. “HB 30 is a major step forward in the language used to define the dangerous and misguided antisemitic movement that is taking shape in the U.S.”
“Like many, I have been shocked by the recent outbreak of antisemitism in the U.S. since the Hamas terror attack on Israel, both in hateful rhetoric and violence,” said Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition and an additional supporter of HB 30. “As Christians we stand with our friends in the Jewish community in opposing bigotry in all its ugly forms. I urge the General Assembly to act on this legislation swiftly and make it clear that antisemitism and bigotry has no place in Georgia.”
The IHRA definition has seen bipartisan support on a national level, acknowledged through its adoption under Executive Order 13889 by former President Donald Trump and sustained by President Joe Biden. The bill stands as a constitutional and essential step in confronting the escalating antisemitism perpetuated by extremists targeting the Jewish community in America.
*Editor’s note: The full text of the Faith Leaders Support Letter is attached.
Representative John Carson represents the citizens of District 46, which includes portions of Cherokee and Cobb counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and currently serves as Chairman of the Retirement Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Insurance, Intragovernmental Coordination, Rules, State Planning & Community Affairs, Transportation and Ways & Means committees.
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