Washington Democrats slap surprise 'Hamas amendment' on Holocaust education bill

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Washington Democrats slap surprise 'Hamas amendment' on Holocaust education bill

Ari Hoffman

A bipartisan bill on Holocaust and genocide education in Washington state has
had a "Hamas amendment" slapped on it by State House Democrats that would
guarantee that antisemitic and pro-Hamas talking points are taught to public
school children.
House Bill 2037 mandates that public schools teach the Holocaust and other
genocides and augment current material on the Holocaust with a curriculum
augmented by the Holocaust Center for Humanity and other agencies. Additionally,
in April, International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month, Washington
public schools must also promote age-appropriate educational activities
regarding the Holocaust and other genocides.

The bill was a companion to a Senate bill, introduced by Republican State
Senator John Braun, following the Hamas massacre of Oct 7, to address GOP
concerns that one in five Americans aged 18 to 29 don't think the Holocaust
occurred.

However, once the bills were introduced, local antisemites and Hamas supporters
spammed legislators demanding that the Holocaust education be watered down and
focus more on other genocides.

Some of the far-left educators also wanted children to be taught the false
narrative that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Jewish
state's ongoing war against Hamas terrorists.

After the bill came out of committee with unanimous approval, Seattle Democratic
Rep. Emily Alvarado, in a move attempting to pacify her far-left base, slapped
what legislators have dubbed the "Hamas amendment" on the legislation that would
open the door for the Holocaust curriculum to include the false Hamas narrative
in an attempt to offset addressing pro-Israel "bias" in the material.

Alvarado's amendment added that the Office of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction must work with organizations with "expertise in teaching lessons on
genocide and crimes against humanity in different regions of the world and at
various points in history, particularly including diasporic communities with
lived experiences of surviving, being made refugee by, or otherwise being
directly impacted by genocide," in an effort to include Palestinians.

Alvarado claimed on the House floor, when she introduced the surprise amendment
without informing the Republican author of the bill, that it was being brought
forward to make the proposed Holocaust education more "inclusive" and
"accountable."

House Democrats realized they wouldn't have the votes to pass the Holocaust
education bill without the amendment due to their radical members and instead of
having the antisemitic rhetoric from their caucus be live-streamed, they
adjourned for the night.

The next day they came back united on including the "Hamas amendment," forcing
the GOP to either pass the legislation or appear as if they opposed Holocaust
education.

Republican State Representative Travis Couture said in response to the
Democrats' stunt, "I have some concerns with language included in a surprise
amendment by the majority party that I believe weakened the bill."

The bill passed and now heads to the State Senate where Democratic members have
junked the original bill in favor of the House bill which includes the "Hamas
Amendment."

As a result, the future of the legislation remains uncertain.

https://thepostmillennial.com/washington-democrats-slap-surprise-hamas-amendment-on-holocaust-education-bill