November 6, 2023 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, today welcomed a joint statement from 32 Special Envoys and Coordinators on Combating Antisemitism from Europe, Latin America, the United States, Canada, and Israel. They cite the “immense impact” the October 7 Hamas terror attack has had on Jewish communities worldwide and the need for action in the face of the dangerous antisemitism that has ensued.
One of the signatories is Rabbi Andrew Baker, who serves as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, and also holds the position of AJC Director of International Affairs.
The heinous attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists unleashed a torrent of vicious antisemitic incidents across the globe. Jewish communities in many nations feel as if they are under siege. In their statement, the envoys say that “Jews around the world have not faced such challenges since the Holocaust.” They make clear their “shared mandate to combat antisemitism and to safeguard Jewish life” and pledge to do everything in their power “to see that hatred against Jews is rebuked and that Jewish life flourishes in peace.”
They call on governments to provide the necessary security assistance to Jewish communities and for police to be alert to the threats they face, guided by the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. They decry the online upsurge of antisemitic messages and call on social media platforms to bring them under control, as both the law (in some countries) and their terms of service require. They call on university administrators to condemn antisemitic acts on campus and ensure the safety of Jewish students.
AJC thanks the special envoys and coordinators for their unequivocal recognition of the gravity of this problem, which poses the greatest threat to world Jewry since the Holocaust. Theirs is a clarion call to action at this critical time. AJC agrees with these envoys when they say, “Never again is now.”
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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