WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release). — Representatives Nita Lowey (D-NY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Kay Granger (R-TX), and Marc Veasey (D-TX), co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, were joined by 113 bipartisan Taskforce members in sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to quickly fill the position of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.
“Without a Special Envoy, the United States lacks the focus of a person solely dedicated to spearheading our important diplomatic efforts in the fight against anti-Semitism. Appointing this important position will make clear to foreign governments that combating anti-Semitism remains an American priority and that the U.S. maintains its traditional leadership in the fight.”
Text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Pompeo,
As you begin your tenure as Secretary of State, we write to you today as Members of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism gravely concerned about the issue of rising global anti-Semitism. We urge you to fill the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the U.S. Department of State. Prioritizing this important role would bolster the United States’ ability to monitor and combat anti-Semitism abroad and send a strong message to the international community that the U.S. remains committed to fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism.
In addition to the vacancy of the Special Envoy, there have also been no staff assigned to the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism since May 2017. Without a Special Envoy, the United States lacks the focus of a person solely dedicated to spearheading our important diplomatic efforts in the fight against anti-Semitism. Appointing this important position will make clear to foreign governments that combating anti-Semitism remains an American priority and that the U.S. maintains its traditional leadership in the fight.
Anti-Semitic views, rhetoric, and threats to the safety and security of Jewish communities are on the rise around the globe. Violent anti-Semitic extremist groups, now closely connected through the internet, are borrowing and refining strategies and tactics from each other. In Europe, anti-Semitic sentiments and violence have skyrocketed, including murders, physical harassment of Jews, demonization of Israel and its supporters, and Holocaust distortion. According to the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, “Europe’s largest Jewish communities are experiencing a normalization and mainstreaming of anti-Semitism not seen since the Second World War.” As history has repeatedly shown, anti-Semitism is often the “canary in the coal mine” that preludes the rise of other forms of bigotry and prejudice.
In 2004, Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act with strong bipartisan support. This legislation – through provisions authored by Taskforce Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith – created the Special Envoy and its office, which are tasked to monitor worldwide anti-Semitism trends; document incidents; consult with domestic and international non-governmental organizations; coordinate efforts with partners in the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations, and elsewhere; and support endangered Jewish communities around the world.
Since early 2017, bipartisan members of the House and Senate have called on the Administration to fill this position as quickly as possible. Additionally, the Omnibus Appropriations bills for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 included directives, authored by Task Force Co-Chair Rep. Nita Lowey, urging the Administration to prioritize the appointment of this position and to provide funding for the efforts of the Special Envoy’s office. Yet, despite these bipartisan, bicameral efforts, the position and office remain vacant.
You are assuming the Secretary of State role during a time of many great challenges to international stability and U.S. national security. Nonetheless, we urge you to prioritize the swift appointment of a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism and to provide the necessary resources for this critical work. This appointment would demonstrate the commitment of the United States to Jewish communities around the world and to the fight against the persistent evil of anti-Semitism. We look forward to working with you to make this a reality.
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Preceding provided by Congresswoman Nita Lowey
AJC applauds the 120 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle who signed a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging his swift appointment of a new State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. At a time when anti-Semitism shows no sign of abating, the critical Special Envoy position has been unfilled since January 2017.
The letter, which AJC strongly supported, was initiated by leaders of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism – Representatives Eliot Engel, Chris Smith, Nita Lowey, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ted Deutch, Marc Veasey, and Kay Granger. In 2014, AJC encouraged the formation of the Taskforce and has backed its efforts since its creation.
Congress has been critically engaged with the Office of the Special Envoy since the State Department unit was created in 2004, when the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act passed with broad bipartisan support.
“Congress plays a vital role in U.S. efforts to combat global anti-Semitism, and one of its most effective instruments has been the creation, maintenance and ongoing interaction with the Office of the Special Envoy. Its very existence sends a powerful signal to world leaders and to vulnerable Jewish communities of America’s commitment to confronting this menace,” said Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Executive Director for Policy.
AJC has led advocacy efforts to combat anti-Semitism around the world, with a particular focus on Europe, where AJC maintains offices in Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Rome, Sofia and Warsaw. “Mobilizing governments and civil society and assuring there are adequate tools to combat European anti-Semitism are priority objectives, for which the U.S. Special Envoy is an essential partner,” Isaacson added.
The congressional letter—signed by more than one quarter of the House of Representatives—comes on the heels of an AJC coordinated letter, signed by more than 1,100 religious leaders across the United States, urging Secretary Pompeo to appoint a Special Envoy. Among the signatories are rabbis, several hundred Christian leaders, and faith representatives of the Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities. The letter and list of signatories is available at http://www.ajc.org/envoypetition.