Atlanta, GA – On the eve of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s expected signing of the state’s newly adopted antisemitism bill, the legislative sponsor of the bill received another threatening message Tuesday morning.
State Rep. Esther Panitch (D-Sandy Springs), the only Jewish member of Georgia’s legislature, received the threat in the form of a postcard sent to her home address, which included antisemitic slurs and rhetoric. Panitch reported it to Sandy Springs police.
“It’s unnerving,” she told Atlanta News First in an exclusive interview. “Everyone should be able to feel safe at home.”
This is not the first time Panitch has dealt with antisemitism firsthand. Last year, a wave of antisemitic flyers hit parts of suburban Atlanta, including her Sandy Springs home.
“Law enforcement is working on it and I hope they can find out who did it,” Panitch said. “This came to my address with my name on it, so it’s pretty personal.”
Last week, both the state House and Senate passed a bill that would allow prosecutors to tack on antisemitism charges to crimes committed against Jewish people or places.
The measure had stalled in a Senate committee in 2023.
But in an unusually rapid turnaround Thursday, the bill made its way through both chambers. Gov. Kemp also indicated last week he will sign it.
After the bill passed, Panitch admitted feeling “overwhelmed.”
“I’ve got lots of emotions going on at the same time,” she said. “There are 150,000 Jews in Georgia that now feel like they have been seen, and heard, and acknowledged and protected.”
Some lawmakers objected to the bill, arguing it could be used to censor free speech, especially when criticizing the state of Israel.
“The First Amendment guarantees our rights as citizens to criticize any government, foreign and domestic,” said Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Lawrenceville). “Does our Constitution not mean anything? Do our federal laws not mean anything?
“This bill will target pro-Palestine advocates and we have seen it applied already across the state,” said Azka Mahmood, executive director of the Center for American-Islamic Relations. “In the state of Georgia we are seeing a dangerous rise in the conflation of anti-Israel speech with antisemitism before this bill is even passed, and it is creating real harm and real danger for advocates of Palestine.”
But Panitch and other supporters of the bill noted that the language only covers hateful acts, like vandalism or assault, not speech.
According to a study from the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic attacks are on the rise. Antisemitic incidents increased by 35% between 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, Georgia lawmakers voted 136-22 to approve a measure that defined antisemitism in state law. The move came weeks after some residents in suburban Atlanta found anti-Jewish flyers left in their driveways inside plastic bags.
