The amendment, dubbed the "Hamas amendment," ensures the inclusion of antisemitic and pro-Hamas narratives in the curriculum taught to public school students.
House Bill 2037 requires public schools to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides, supplementing existing Holocaust material with a curriculum developed by the Holocaust Center for Humanity and other agencies. In addition, during April's International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month, Washington public schools are mandated to promote age-appropriate educational activities about the Holocaust and other genocides.
February 14, 2024
The bill was introduced as a companion to a Senate bill, proposed by Republican State Senator John Braun, in response to the Hamas massacre of October 7. The legislation was designed to address Republican concerns about a lack of Holocaust awareness among young Americans, with one in five aged 18 to 29 reportedly doubting the occurrence of the Holocaust.
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However, following the introduction of the bills, local antisemites and Hamas supporters inundated legislators with demands to dilute the Holocaust education and place greater emphasis on other genocides. Some far-left educators also advocated for the teaching of a false narrative that Israel is perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in its ongoing conflict with Hamas terrorists.
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February 14, 2024
Seattle Democratic Representative Emily Alvarado, in an attempt to appease her far-left base, added the controversial "Hamas amendment" to the legislation. This amendment could potentially allow the Holocaust curriculum to incorporate the false Hamas narrative, ostensibly to counteract perceived pro-Israel "bias" in the material.
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Alvarado's amendment stipulates that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must collaborate with organizations that have "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." This is seen as an attempt to include Palestinians in the curriculum.
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Alvarado defended her surprise amendment on the House floor, claiming it was intended to make the proposed Holocaust education more "inclusive" and "accountable."
House Democrats, realizing they lacked the votes to pass the Holocaust education bill without the amendment due to their radical members, adjourned for the night. They returned the next day united in their support for the "Hamas amendment," leaving the GOP with the difficult choice of either passing the legislation or appearing to oppose Holocaust education.
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Republican State Representative Travis Couture expressed his concerns about the amendment, stating, "I have some concerns with language included in a surprise amendment by the majority party that I believe weakened the bill."
The bill, now including the "Hamas Amendment," has passed and is headed to the State Senate. Democratic members there have discarded the original bill in favor of the House bill, leaving the future of the legislation uncertain.
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