Overview of NBI 15D and 15C
NBI 15D: “Updating 2007 Resolution on Anti-Semitic and Anti-Jewish Prejudice”
- Proposes that APA archive APA’s 2007 resolution on antisemitism because it fails to adequately specify what antisemitism is (and is not) and therefore creates confusion in regard to criticism of the State of Israel and support for Palestinian rights
- Proposes that APA instead adopt the 2026 Resolution on Antisemitism, which specifies that antisemitism involves “hostility, prejudice, hatred, or violence against Jews as Jews” and thereby protects principled advocacy in the context of Israel/Palestine
- What does the 2026 Resolution on Antisemitism do?
- Proposes that APA “will take a leadership role in opposing antisemitism” and “encourages all psychologists to act to eliminate all discrimination of an antisemitic nature.”
- Affirms that antisemitism involves “hostility, prejudice, hatred, or violence against Jews as Jews”
- Asserts that “anti-Jewish hostility has been perpetrated by many groups throughout history,” and “antisemitic acts of violence…have increased dramatically since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct 7, 2023 and Israel’s invasion of Gaza”
- Clarifies that the “following do not constitute antisemitic acts”:
- “support for Palestinian demands consistent with international law”
- “support for full equality for everyone in Israel/Palestine”
- “evidence-based criticism of Israel’s “institutions, founding principles, practices, policies, and actions
- “non-violent forms of political protest”
- Highlights that it is antisemitic “to hold Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the State of Israel” and “to require Jews to publicly condemn Israel”
- Highlights that “there are significant adverse consequences for Jews and non-Jews when claims of antisemitism are used to encroach on free speech and other principles of democracy by suppressing and punishing evidence-based criticism and non-violent protest.”
NBI 15C: “Reaffirming APA’s Commitment to Human Rights and Free Speech”
- Initially proposed for August 2025 APA CoR Meeting. Not added to August 2025 agenda.
- Some overlap with 15D above, with a broader lens.
- Requests APA to adopt a public statement aligned with values of human rights, condemning racism and bigotry of all kinds, supporting ceasefire and aid, and ensuring free exchange of ideas.
- What would the proposed statement include?
- Reaffirms APA’s “commitment to human rights and free speech,”
- Reiterates APA’s prior call “for an immediate cessation of violence, for emergency aid to the most vulnerable communities, and for the protection of all civilians in Israel and Palestine”
- “APA condemns, consistent with our opposition to bigotry in all its forms (American Psychological Association, 2021), antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, anti-Arab racism, and anti-Palestinian racism, along with all forms of discrimination, prejudice, hostility, and violence.”
- Asserts that “free exchange of ideas is essential to science, human welfare, and the just resolution of conflict” and rejects the view that “criticism of any government’s policies or actions is intrinsically racist, antisemitic, or anti-Muslim.”
- Opposes “silencing or punishing non-violent advocacy directed towards safeguarding human life and upholding human dignity and human rights.”
*Note: Direct quotes from the NBIs shared on August 20, 2025 are signaled by quotation marks. See below for the full-text PDFs of the NBIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NBI 15D?
NBI 15D calls on APA’s Council of Representatives to replace APA’s 2007 Resolution on Anti-Semitic and Anti-Jewish Prejudice with a new resolution that:
Clearly identifies antisemitism as identity-based hostility, prejudice, hatred, or violence against Jews as Jews and condemns “all antisemitic attitudes and actions.” The 2007 Resolution does not clearly define antisemitism.
Emphasizes that evidence-based criticism of Israel’s government, practices, policies, and actions and/or advocacy for Palestinian human rights and equality is not intrinsically antisemitic. The 2007 Resolution links criticism of the State of Israel to antisemitism.
Why is this so urgent and important?
As an institution, APA needs to honor its commitment to anti-oppressive initiatives while simultaneously protecting free speech for all psychologists and communities. This means that APA needs to adopt antisemitism-related policies that:
Address the real and alarming rise in antisemitism in our society: NBI 15D reaffirms the 2007 Resolution by identifying antisemitism as a very serious threat and a source of significant physical and psychological harm to the Jewish community.
Protect free speech. Definitions that conflate antisemitism with criticism of Israel are being used throughout the country to crack down on anyone (including Jewish people) who criticizes the State of Israel or supports Palestinian human rights. Human rights groups and scholars have criticized this conflation and its use by governments and other institutions to suppress free speech, including non-violent protest. We have all seen first-hand the many attempts to erode free speech in our country over the last year.
NBI 15D also helps to address the rise of Islamophobia and the dehumanization of SWANA/MENA people and Palestinians by unlinking criticism of Israel from the definition of antisemitism. Currently, people engaged in activism related to Palestinian rights are accused of committing hate speech, leading to job loss, doxxing, and silencing.
By differentiating antisemitism from criticism of the State of Israel, NBI 15D will help to protect APA members — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — from professional sanctions for engaging in principled speech and non-violent protest. At the same time, it will serve as a model for other professional associations.
Shouldn’t we leave defining antisemitism to only Jewish psychologists?
Some Jewish psychologists who insist that criticism of Israel is antisemitic have spoken out strongly against NBI 15D. They argue that Council members should not be the ones defining antisemitism. But the issue of protecting human rights and free speech for all affects everyone. As APA’s legislative body, it is Council’s responsibility to create the shared language and understanding that’s essential for APA’s important work to resist antisemitism and ensure that we protect free speech and our most vulnerable APA members from targeting based on their concerns for human rights.
These opponents of NBI 15D also often present a misleading, monolithic view of the Jewish community and its relationship to Israel. Indeed, a recent survey of American Jews from September 2025 reveals that:
- Only about a quarter say that they are very emotionally attached to Israel;
- Almost two-thirds say that Israel has committed war crimes against Palestinians; and
- Over one-third say that Israel has committed genocide.
Indeed, Jewish psychologists helped create NBI 15D and the FAQ you are currently reading. The diversity of the American Jewish community needs to be respected— both generally and within APA. Claims that concern for Palestinians is antisemitic misrepresent and harm swaths of the Jewish community inside and outside of APA.
Take Action
Share information about these NBIs with colleagues and through listservs, and contact APA leadership and Council Representatives to encourage a vote in support. You do not need to be an APA member to make an impact.
Find out who your APA Representatives are here: Board of Directors // Division Representatives // States, Provinces, & Territories Representatives // Ethnic Psychological Association Representatives (If their email link doesn’t open, right-click their name and select “Copy email address.”)