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Wisconsin Adopts Definition of Antisemitism
March 28, 2026
On March 27, 2026, Governor Tony Evers signed 2025 Wisconsin Act 143, which adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. While proponents praise it as a critical tool against rising anti-Jewish hate, opponents such as the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine criticize it will effectively criminalize political expression of Israel or any country. To understand this better, read here.
According to a member of the Palestine Justice Working Group, Governor Evers signed the bill despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of persons giving public testimony, including many members of the Jewish faith, spoke against the bill. In a democracy, citizens should be allowed to criticize any country. The Constitution guarantees this freedom.
The bill was authored by ALEC, a heavily funded ultra-conservative lobby. In places where similar bills have been adopted, no evidence has been determined to show that antisemitic acts have decreased in number or severity.
AB446/SB445 does not create a new class of crimes. Rather, the bill serves as a "penalty enhancer", assigning additional penalties for persons found guilty of hate crimes. As such, this bill will have a harmful chilling effect on the exercise of speech critical of the State of Israel.
This chilling of free speech will be especially prevalent at college campuses throughout the state. This is because the Trump administration is determined to withhold federal funding from universities that are "tolerant of antisemitic behavior." And now, in Wisconsin, certain fact-based, nonviolent criticisms of the State of Israel are by law deemed to be antisemitic. Schools now possess a strong incentive to ensure students and faculty don't speak out against actions of the State of Israel. Faculty members who teach classes about the Middle East are especially concerned about the bill, with some professors concluding they are now unable to offer such classes. This seems an odd move from Gov. Evers, an educator himself. This will be a story to keep following.
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