Roanoke Dems Declare "Full Support" for Del. Sam Rasoul Despite Backlash over Zionism Comments

The Roanoke City Democratic Committee passed a resolution last week commending Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) for his "leadership, vision and unwavering commitment..."

The Roanoke City Democratic Committee passed their “Resolution in Support of Sam Rasoul” last week, reaffirming their “full support for Sam Rasoul and his campaign for reelection” and commending his “leadership, vision and unwavering commitment to creating a better future for all Virginians.” This comes just a couple of weeks after Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) was on the receiving end of direct and indirect criticism from Democratic Party leaders about his comments on Zionism.

The resolution, published on the Roanoke City Democratic Committee website, reads:

WHERAS [sic], Sam Rasoul has been a dedicated and effective public servant, consistently championing policies that benefit the people of Virginia and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has tirelessly worked to address critical issues, such as environmental sustainability, through his leadership in the Virginia Green New Deal Legislation, which lays the foundation for a more sustainable and eco-friendly future, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has led the charge for renewable energy tax credits, ensuring that Virginia continues to embrace clean and renewable energy sources, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has been a strong advocate for equitable and fair housing policies, including improvements to fair housing protections for victims of domestic violence, and championed the expansion of housing opportunities through New Chapter Housing, supporting returning citizens, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has worked diligently to improve education in Virginia, including promoting socio-emotional learning in K-12 education and serving as the Chair of the Education Committee in the House of Delegates, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has fought for the reduction of the cost of inmate communications, ensuring that incarcerated individuals can stay connected with their families and loved ones, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has been a leader in criminal justice reform, advancing policies such as expungement to give individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives after serving time, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has demonstrated leadership in rejecting undue influence from utility companies, starting a trend to say no to utility company political contributions, and promoting transparency in the political process, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has consistently demonstrated a commitment to human rights both locally and globally, advocating for protection and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their background or nationality, and

WHEREAS, Sam Rasoul has been a tireless advocate for education funding, ensuring that Virginia students receive the resources they need to succeed in the classroom,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Roanoke City Democratic Committee, express our full support for Sam Rasoul and his campaign for reelection, and commend his leadership, vision and unwavering commitment to creating a better future for all Virginians.

The (Almost) Criminalization of Del. Rasoul’s Speech

Del. Rasoul spoke to Zeteo reporter Prem Thakker about the charge of “antisemitism:”

Rasoul also pushed back on the conflation of his criticism of Israel with antisemitism. “These genocide deniers and apologists for the State of Israel, have nothing else but to claim everything is antisemitic,” Rasoul said. “The reality is that my Jewish friends are less safe because they've bastardized antisemitism. And prevented us from really being able to take on truly antisemitic behavior, because criticizing a genocide is not antisemitic,” he added.

Yet few Virginians understand how close we came to effectively criminalizing speech like Del. Rasoul’s back in 2023. In those early months of 2023, during the General Assembly regular session, several bills were introduced that would’ve inserted the IHRA definition of antisemitism into the Code of Virginia and would’ve amended the Virginia Human Rights Act to effectively make “intimidation or harassment” motivated by antisemitism (defined via the IHRA definition) a hate crime.

One key problem with the IHRA definition of antisemitism is that it incorporates a set of examples that classify criticism of the nation-state of Israel as inherently antisemitic. If you’re curious about the problems with this definition, you can watch the educational webinar hosted by the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights in 2023. Included on the panel is Kenneth Stern, the lead author of the IHRA definition who now speaks out against its weaponization.

The behind-the-scenes advocacy battles over these bills were some of the most intense I’ve experienced in the past decade, in part because Democratic lawmakers needed to be educated on the issues. The Virginia Coalition for Human Rights, an umbrella group of a couple dozen organizations, took the organizing lead in opposing these bills.

In the end, the hate crime legislation was defeated, but the IHRA definition was amended, passed, and signed into the 2023 Uncodified Acts after being rendered “non-legally binding” and having key language added:

“That the provisions of this act shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Constitution of Virginia.”

Let’s not forget that the VCHR advocates were right in 2023, and their advocacy then has protected free speech in Virginia now. So, instead of potentially organizing a legal defense fund to fight off (geo)politically motivated hate crime charges, the Roanoke City Democratic Committee can stick to a strong resolution in support of Del. Rasoul.

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Here’s the VCHR release from March 6, 2023 after the General Assembly adjourned:

Vchr Fights For Palestinian Rights And Free Speech In Va 2023 03 06

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