(JTA) — Several U.S. Congress members are part of a new task force of international lawmakers trying to combat online anti-Semitism.
Members of the national legislatures of Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States are part of the panel, according to an announcement from Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., a members of the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Anti-Semitism.
The lawmakers decided to ban together since “social media posts do not stop at international borders,” the statement said. The task force will work to protect all minority groups from online hate.
Its goals include establishing consistent messaging and policy from parliaments and legislatures around the world in order to hold social media platforms accountable; the adoption and publication of transparent policies related to hate speech; and raising awareness about ant-Ssemitism on social media platforms and its consequences.
Other U.S. lawmakers on the panel include Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.; Chris Smith, R-N.J.; and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. Knesset member Michal Cotler-Wunsh of Israel’s Blue and White party, daughter of former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, also is a member.
“It has never been easier than now for anti-Semites to connect and spread hateful propaganda using social media,” Deutch said in a statement. “These platforms have a responsibility to ensure that they are not being used freely by purveyors of hate. Online anti-Semitism is a global problem.”
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