April 13, 2017 — New York, New York
AJC is urging Secretary of State Tillerson to fill without further delay the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. The vital position, created by Congress in 2004, has been vacant since the new Administration took office in January.
“For reasons of substance and perception this critical office in the State Department must be exempt from any projected budget cuts,” said Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Director for Policy. “Failure to maintain the Office to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism with adequate resources would diminish U.S. global leadership in the ongoing fight against global antisemitism.”
The Office to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism has kept the U.S. at the forefront of international efforts to raise consciousness about the rising menace of antisemitism and press governments and multilateral institutions to take action to safeguard vulnerable Jewish communities.
“The State Department’s special envoy on antisemitism has been a living embodiment of our country’s commitment to fighting this evil,” said Isaacson. “Eliminating or even curtailing the office’s essential functions would tragically raise questions about the Administration’s commitment to combating antisemitism.”
