A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging U.S. President Joe Biden to swiftly nominate an Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, citing the growing threat of anti-Semitism at home and abroad.
The letter, signed by 53 members of Congress and spearheaded by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), states that “violence inspired by anti-Semitism is an everyday concern for Jewish families, who must weigh the decision to freely practice their Judaism against the risk of violence that these rituals can invite. With threats of anti-Semitism increasing every year, strong American leadership is required to address them.”
In December, Congress passed the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act, which upgrades the status of the special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, a position at the U.S. State Department, to an ambassadorship, thereby requiring U.S. Senate confirmation. Former President Donald Trump signed the bill into law before leaving office.
Having been vacant at the start of the Trump administration, the special envoy was designated in February 2019 with the appointment of Iraq war veteran and attorney Elan Carr.