Oklahoma Adopts IHRA Antisemitism Definition into State Law

In a landmark move to combat rising antisemitism, Oklahoma has officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into state law. Governor Kevin Stitt signed two significant bills SB 942 and SB 991 on Tuesday, reinforcing the state’s commitment to protecting Jewish students and citizens from hate.

SB 942 mandates the incorporation of the IHRA definition, including its 11 contemporary examples, into codes of conduct for all public school, college, and university students, faculty, and staff. The law aligns with Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act, requiring educational institutions to designate a Title VI coordinator tasked with investigating antisemitic harassment and discrimination.

Institutions that fail to act on documented complaints will be reported directly to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education, ensuring accountability and federal oversight.

The second bill, SB 991, formally integrates the IHRA definition into Oklahoma’s legal framework, to be used as a tool in training, education, and identifying hate crimes. With this legislation, Oklahoma becomes the 37th U.S. state to adopt or endorse the IHRA’s working definition, a widely recognized standard for defining and addressing modern antisemitism.

“Oklahoma has always stood against hate, and today we move one step closer to ensuring our universities are equipped to recognize and respond decisively to antisemitism,” said Senator Kristen Thompson, who co-sponsored the legislation with Representative Emily Gise. “With this legislation, we send a clear message: hate has no place in Oklahoma.”

Rep. Gise added, “We can’t combat what we can’t define. This framework is going to help us understand what is and isn’t antisemitism.”

Gise, a former student leader of the pro-Israel campus group Sooners for Israel, spoke candidly about witnessing the harassment and marginalization of Jewish students simply for expressing their identity. Those experiences, she said, inspired her ongoing work to combat antisemitism and shaped the drive behind these new laws.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement praised the legislation, calling it a “critical step toward ensuring that Jewish students and communities can live openly and safely.”

At a time when antisemitic incidents are rising across college campuses and public forums, Oklahoma’s actions represent a powerful stand for truth, accountability, and moral clarity. With the IHRA definition now enshrined in law, the state has established a vital tool for recognizing and combating antisemitism in all its forms.

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