World Jewish News

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Jewish groups were listened: US to retain post of special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism

The US State Department will retain the post of special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Congress.

The possibility that the the State Department would scrap the post of special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism had sparked an outcry among Jewish and Holocaust organizations as well as politicians.

Tillerson told Congress he will allocate funding for the position, which was mandated by a 2004 act of Congress and signed by then President George W. Bus. The position has been vacant since the beginning of the Trump Administration.

Members of Congress from both parties have pressed the Trump administration, in letters and proposed bills, to name an envoy and to enhance the office’s status. They have noted that unlike some other envoys, whose positions were created by Trump’s predecessors, the office of the envoy on anti-Semitism is a statute and requires filling.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder welcomed the US State Department’s announcement, calling it a “crucial move” in a time of growing anti-Semitism.

“On behalf of the World Jewish Congress, I commend the US administration for its encouraging decision to prioritize the appointment of a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism,” he said.

“America’s Jewish community is undoubtedly among the safest in the world, but the demonstrations of blatant anti-Semitism, bigotry and racism that we have seen of late make the importance of such an envoy ever clear,” Lauder said.

He added “when Jews are targeted for being Jewish, it is a problem not just for the Jewish community, but for America as a whole. It is imperative that all US citizens work together to fight all forms of hatred when they rear their ugly heads.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also welcomed Tillerson’s affirmation, calling it “essential” in the continued fight against the rise of global anti-Semitism.

ADL led a campaign to ensure the continuation of the special envoy position and thanked the thousands of Americans who signed a petition which was delivered to Secretary Tillerson, and further credited the full-court press by bipartisan Congressional leaders, the former special envoys, and other concerned citizens.

“We commend Secretary Tillerson for listening to the voices calling for the appointment of the special envoy to counter anti-Semitism,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “This position has been an essential diplomatic and political tool in fighting anti-Semitism around the globe.”

Greenblatt added, “At a time when there is a growing prominence to anti-Jewish movements and actions, the special envoy to combat anti-Semitism continues to be essential and it is important that the State Department has recognized this vital work. We urge the State Department to refrain from eliminating other special envoy roles which are vital to promoting American values of democracy, tolerance and religious freedom across the globe.”

Greenblatt and two former State Department envoys – Ira Forman and Hannah Rosenthal – recently penned an opinion piece in The Washington Post disagreeing with Mr. Tillerson’s initial position that the office may be unnecessary because overseas bureaus were already focused on the issue.

EJP