described<\/u><\/a><\/span> a Nefesh B\u2019nefesh event at Manhattan\u2019s Park East Synagogue in November as a \u201cviolation of international law.\u201d<\/p>\nKnott told JNS that one reason that he is backing the legislation is that there is currently no legal remedy for worshippers if local prosecutors decline to press charges against protesters who violate existing laws protecting houses of worship. He cited a recent case of protesters storming a church in St. Paul, Minn.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my opinion, it was a criminal disruption, whether it\u2019s trespass, assault, just barnstorming that church during the service, and the progressive, far-left district attorney did not bring charges,\u201d Knott said. \u201cThose worshippers have no remedy.\u201d<\/p>\n
In regard to aliyah events, Knott told JNS that the bill is deliberately narrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the buffer zone, if you hold a sign that says \u2018Israel do better,\u2019 that\u2019s perfectly consistent with this law,\u201d the North Carolina Republican said. \u201cIf I grabbed a worshiper by the lapel pin and said, \u2018You\u2019re committing whatever crime\u2019 you allege, that is a disruption that\u2019s not sanctioned with this bill.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe definition targets the focused, intentional disruption, not the benign and peaceful,\u201d Knott told JNS. \u201cWe were not trying to cast a wide net. It\u2019s a focused net where people use an organized, established house of worship to target specific people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jewish and other faith groups backing the legislation include the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jewish Committee (AJC), Agudath Israel of America, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals, Hindu American Foundation, Islamic Society of North America and United Sikhs.<\/p>\n
Eric Fingerhut, CEO of JFNA, described the $1 billion cost that American Jews now pay for security at their religious institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver $250,000 per synagogue is being spent on average across the United States for physical security needs,\u201d Fingerhut said at the press conference. \u201cOur synagogues know and our worshippers know that they are under attack and that they have to be safe and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The House went into an early recess on Wednesday, meaning that the bill will not come up in the lower chamber before the midterm elections in November.<\/p>\n
Suozzi told JNS that he hopes there may be more activity in the Senate, where Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have sponsored the bill\u2019s companion version.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really hoping that we can convince the Senate, who\u2019s going to be in session for another three weeks, to pay attention to this now,\u201d Suozzi said. \u201cI think that we can get the speaker to pay attention to this once we come back, because I think it\u2019s something that he was paying attention to and asked Knott to work on this, specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we\u2019ve got to push him over the finish line to try and get this thing done,\u201d Suozzi told JNS.<\/p>\n
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