March 16, 2017 — New York, New York
The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council held its third meeting since its launch in November.
The Council praised the letter on hate crimes signed by 25 Senators, and spearheaded by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D- CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D- WI). The letter to Attorney General Sessions calls for a reaffirmation of the Justice Department role in enforcing hate crimes laws.
The Senators’ letter specifically asks for two things:
- prioritize funding for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Community Relations Service, and
- expand the Justice Department’s work with state and local governments in prosecuting and monitoring hate crimes.
The need for Congress to reach out to the Attorney General on these issues has been a focus of recent advocacy efforts by the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, and was a centerpiece of the conversation at today’s meeting.
On February 1, Council members met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress and urged them to strengthen the country’s response to the increase in hate crimes across the U.S., especially those targeting Muslim and Jewish communities and institutions.
In a series of meetings with Justice Department officials, the Council was impressed with the dedication to investigating hate crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.
Stanley Bergman, CEO of Henry Schein, and Farooq Kathwari, President and CEO of Ethan Allen, are the co-chairs of the Council. Its 36 members are recognized business, political, and religious leaders in the American Jewish and American Muslim communities. They jointly advocate for solutions to U.S. domestic policy issues of common concern.
