Washington, DC
In a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, a nominee for U.S. Circuit Court Judge, Adeel Mangi, was questioned aggressively on thin pretext about his views on Israel, terrorism, and antisemitism, turning these serious issues into a tool of partisan attack. Mangi—who would be the first American Muslim to serve in this role—affirmed his belief in Israel’s right to exist, his abhorrence of terrorism and any justifications for it, and outright rejection of antisemitism.
American Jewish Committee (AJC) has joined several U.S. Supreme Court briefs led by Mangi and find him to be an able jurist, a person of integrity, champion of pluralism, and adversary of discrimination against any group. Ultimately, the Senate must determine Mangi’s fitness for the job, and we expect that Senators will disregard the untoward implications underlying that unnecessary and unhelpful line of questioning. Elected officials should take a leadership role in calming the fears of and against American religious minorities, such as Jews and Muslims, not stoke them.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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