Today, Senator Reverend Warnock, along with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, urged the Administration to execute a unified national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism
Senator Reverend Warnock: “I’ve had the privilege to stand side-by-side with Jewish Georgians in the fight for justice, which is why I am proud to be a part of the bipartisan push to create a whole-of-government approach to fighting antisemitism. With antisemitism once again rearing its ugly head here in America, it is critically important for us to work together to combat antisemitism with every tool we have”
As a member of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, Senator Reverend Warnock is a steadfast ally of the Jewish community in Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock and other lawmakers: “With Jewish communities worldwide facing increasing discrimination, as well as threats and acts violence, we believe a whole-of-government approach is needed to effectively address the scourge of antisemitism”
ICYMI from the AJC: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock urged the White House to create a new national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism amid reports of rising hate crimes targeting Jewish people
ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock wishes Georgia’s Jewish community a happy high holidays and reaffirms his commitment to standing against antisemitism
Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, urged the Administration to execute a unified national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism. The letter urges the Administration to coordinate across the Department of Homeland Security; the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the Department of State, and other federal agencies and task forces to holistically combat antisemitism in Georgia and the nation. Reports of antisemitic incidents in Atlanta have nearly doubled this year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Recently, antisemitic graffiti was found in Brookhaven and antisemitic incidents have taken place in Cobb County schools. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently emphasized the increased threat to Jewish communities from violent extremists inside the United States.
“Antisemitism has no place in Georgia, and we must all work together to stamp out this age-old hatred,” said Senator Reverend Warnock about the letter. “I’ve had the privilege to stand side-by-side with Jewish Georgians in the fight for justice, which is why I am proud to be a part of the bipartisan push to create a whole-of-government approach to fighting antisemitism. With antisemitism once again rearing its ugly head here in America, it is critically important for us to work together to combat antisemitism with every tool we have.”
As a member of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, Senator Warnock is a steadfast ally of the Jewish community in Georgia and across the country as he works to combat antisemitism. In addition to this letter, Senator Warnock recently cosponsored a resolution recognizing Israeli-American culture and heritage, the contributions of the Israeli-American community to the United States and condemning antisemitic violence and discrimination. Senator Warnock is also a cosponsor of the bipartisan Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act, which would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the last living Nuremburg trials prosecutor.
“With Jewish communities worldwide facing increasing discrimination, as well as threats and acts violence, we believe a whole-of-government approach is needed to effectively address the scourge of antisemitism,” wrote Senator Warnock and other lawmakers. “History has taught us that attacks and conspiracy theories that target Jews not only threaten Jews, but frequently grow to threaten the security of other communities and the foundations of democracy.
In addition to Senator Warnock, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the head of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, and Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA), James Lankford (R-OK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rob Portman (R-OH),Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chirs Van Hollen (D-MD), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Tina Smith (D-MN) signed on to the letter.
The full letter can be found here or below:
Dear President Biden:
As members of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, we write to urge you to ensure leaders working within your Administration are working together to execute a unified national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism. With Jewish communities worldwide facing increasing discrimination, as well as threats and acts violence, we believe a whole-of-government approach is needed to effectively address the scourge of antisemitism. History has taught us that attacks and conspiracy theories that target Jews not only threaten Jews, but frequently grow to threaten the security of other communities and the foundations of democracy.
Rising antisemitism puts Jews both in the United States and around the world at risk. Antisemitic voices, inciting hateful and violent action, are finding new audiences, with anti-Jewish conspiracies gaining traction across the globe and through social media. In the United States, the evidence of rising antisemitism is clear and alarming. The Federal Bureau of Investigation found that antisemitic hate crimes rose by six percent in 2020, representing the highest total in 12 years and constituting 60 percent of all incidents based on religion. Similarly, nonprofits focused on monitoring and combating antisemitism have also noted record-breaking highs in antisemitic incidents, with 2021 being the highest year on record – an increase of more than a third from 2020. Jewish communal institutions and synagogues are increasingly targets of violent attacks, as evidenced by the violent and often deadly assaults on the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2018, Poway, California in 2019, Jersey City, New Jersey and Monsey, New York in 2019, and Colleyville, Texas in 2022.
We welcome the measures the Administration has taken thus far to address antisemitism. However, combating a growing threat of this magnitude, particularly here at home, requires a strategic, whole-of-government approach. Interagency coordination also could benefit from considering a broadly understood definition of antisemitism, as several agencies have adopted or recognized individually. Because many individual agencies play a critical role in combating antisemitism, closer coordination is needed to share best practices, data, and intelligence; identify gaps in efforts; streamline overlapping activities and roles; and execute a unified national strategy. The strategic collaboration of such entities would also send a key message to the American people and the international community that the United States is committed to fighting antisemitism at the highest levels.
As such, we urge you to prioritize coordination among all agencies working in this space, including, but not limited to, officials from the Department of Homeland Security; the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Education, including the Office for Civil Rights; and the Department of State, including the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, and the Office of International Religious Freedom; in addition to representatives from the Intelligence Community; the Office of Management and Budget; the National Security Council; the Homeland Security Council; the Domestic Policy Council; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; in order to ensure all relevant entities within the Executive Branch and Congress are working in tandem. Creation of an interagency task force led by an official at the Assistant Secretary rank or higher is one way to accomplish such coordination.
Likewise, we request that agencies working collaboratively to combat antisemitism work with the leadership of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces to Combat Antisemitism and key non-profit community stakeholders to develop a National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. Doing so will provide a cohesive and comprehensive plan for interagency efforts in this critical space.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response and continuing to work with you to combat antisemitism at home and abroad.
Sincerely,
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