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Letter to Donald Trump, President of the United States - Prioritize Appointment of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism

Letter

By: Dave Trott, Ruben Gallego, Doris Matsui, Jackie Speier, Jimmy Panetta, Adam Schiff, Ted Lieu, Alan Lowenthal, Jared Polis, Rosa DeLauro, Ron DeSantis, Gus Bilirakis, Lois Frankel, Carlos Curbelo, John Lewis, Robin Kelly, Danny Davis, Bill Foster, John Yarmuth, Mike Capuano, John Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin, Brenda Lawrence, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Frank LoBiondo, Leonard Lance, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Ruben Kihuen, Kathleen Rice, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Eliot Engel, Paul Tonko, Marcy Kaptur, Kyrsten Sinema, Ami Bera, Eric Swalwell, Salud Carbajal, Tony Cárdenas, Norma Torres, Juan Vargas, Michael Coffman, Elizabeth Esty, Stephanie Murphy, Charlie Crist, Jr., Ted Deutch, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, David Scott, Dan Lipinski, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mike Bost, Cedric Richmond, Stephen Lynch, Steny Hoyer, Chellie Pingree, Keith Ellison, David Price, Chris Smith, Albio Sires, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Lee Zeldin, Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Nita Lowey, John Garamendi, Jerry McNerney, Jim Costa, Julia Brownley, Brad Sherman, Karen Bass, Scott Peters, Ed Perlmutter, Eleanor Norton, Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Madeleine Bordallo, Luis Gutiérrez, Jan Schakowsky, Rodney Davis, Jim McGovern, Bill Keating, John Delaney, Sandy Levin, Rick Nolan, Carol Shea-Porter, Joshua Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Dina Titus, Pete King, Grace Meng, Jerry Nadler, Joe Crowley, Sean Maloney, Brian Higgins, Dave Joyce, Charlie Dent, Jim Langevin, Michael McCaul, Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett II, Gerry Connolly, Derek Kilmer, Mark Pocan, Raul Grijalva, Mike Thompson, Mark DeSaulnier, Zoe Lofgren, Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, Ed Royce, Susan Davis, Joe Courtney, Al Lawson, Jr., Val Demings, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Frederica Wilson, Hank Johnson, Jr., Colleen Hanabusa, Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, Jackie Walorski, Seth Moulton, Dutch Ruppersberger, Elijah Cummings, John Conyers, Jr., Kilili Sablan, Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone, Jr., Don Payne, Jr., Jacky Rosen, Thomas Suozzi, Nydia Velázquez, Dan Donovan, Jr., José Serrano, John Faso, Steve Chabot, Suzanne Bonamici, Matt Cartwright, Jim Cooper, Kay Granger, Gene Green, Scott Taylor, Peter Welch, Pramila Jayapal, Ron Kind, Louise Slaughter, Tim Ryan, Brendan Boyle, David Cicilline, Ted Poe, Sheila Jackson Lee, Filemon Vela, Jr., Barbara Comstock, Rick Larsen, Denny Heck, Dwight Evans, Tim Murphy, Steve Cohen, Randy Weber, Sr., Marc Veasey, Don Beyer, Jr., Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Gwen Moore
Date: March 10, 2017
Issues: Executive Branch Religion

Dear Mr. President:

As Members of Congress who care deeply about anti-Semitism at home and abroad, we urge you maintain and prioritize the appointment of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the U.S. State Department's Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. During previous Administrations, this office was crucial in documenting human rights abuses against Jewish communities abroad as well as developing and implementing policies designed to combat anti-Semitism.

The Office of the Special Envoy was created by the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act--through provisions authored by the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism Co-Chair Chris Smith--which passed Congress with broad bipartisan support in 2004. Since its creation, the Special Envoy has reported on troubling incidents impacting Jews worldwide in its annual State Department Human Rights Report, helping to identify concerning attacks, trends, and events impacting Jews worldwide. For instance, the 2015 Human Rights Report detailed the horrific kosher supermarket attack in France, the xenophobic and anti-Semitic Jobbik party in Hungary, and the desecration of Jewish sites--such as cemeteries and memorials--in places like Argentina, Greece, Egypt, and Ukraine. The tracking of international incidents of anti-Semitism is crucial in providing Members of Congress a comprehensive understanding of the problem's scope.

This office has also been responsible for ensuring that American diplomats around the globe are operating under the same definition of anti-Semitism. In the past, the State Department published and promoted a definition of anti-Semitism adapted from the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia: "Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

We view U.S. leadership on combating anti-Semitism and promoting human rights as pivotal components of American diplomacy and foreign policy. The Office of the Special Envoy enables the U.S. to show the world its commitment to these ideals, particularly at a time when anti-Semitism is dangerously on the rise. As Members of Congress devoted to the protection of vulnerable minorities, we urge you to support resources for this crucial office and prioritize this presidential appointment. Such actions will help ensure that the U.S. continues to play an indispensable leadership role in promoting global tolerance, pluralism, and human rights.

Thank you for your attention to these critical issues, and we look forward to your response.


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