As a swell of white supremacist activity threatens the security and democratic integrity of the United States, the American Jewish Congress is proud to announce the launch of an Advisory Board to Counter Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy. The Board, which will advise the American Jewish Congress on its efforts to combat these threats to the Jewish community and the United States, is comprised of eminent leaders spanning national security, law enforcement, counter terrorism, legal, and civil rights expertise.
Far-right extremism is presenting a clear danger to the American Jewish community and other minority communities. At the same time, as demonstrated by the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, online conspiracy theories such as QAnon, antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and white supremacist beliefs are constantly mutating and not only impacting our daily lives, but also the American democracy that we hold dear.
Drawing from the vast experience and diverse backgrounds of its members, the Advisory Board will seek to combat white supremacy by examining government policies, identifying cultural and technological accelerants for domestic extremism. The Advisory Board will craft actionable strategies, develop recommendations, and be active publicly in the debate over how best to mitigate the spread of white supremacist ideology and to counter related domestic terrorism.
Jack Rosen, President of American Jewish Congress and Co-Chair of the Advisory Board, stated:
“In the past, domestic terrorism and white supremacist threats have been caught up in partisan politics or restricted by bureaucracy. I think it is time to look beyond party and invite out of the box thinking. The elevation of these white supremacist conspiracy theories that have exploded online, almost all of which are deeply-rooted in antisemitism, represents a generational challenge for policy-makers and all those that care about the state of our country.
This is more than a problem that has not received enough attention: it is truly a threat to our values, democracy, and institutions.”
Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Co-Chair of the Advisory Board, commented:
“Unfortunately, the traditional tools and old methods of monitoring and countering online hate and domestic extremism are outdated. Every day that passes demonstrates that they are not enough. We need to generate new ideas and upgrade tools available to governmental institutions, law enforcement, and organizations invested in the field. Only with an innovative multi-disciplinary approach we will be able to quickly adapt to these dangerous dynamics.
I am proud to be part of this initiative of the American Jewish Congress and look forward to contributing towards finding practical solutions on how to respond to these phenomena.”
Advisory Board members include:
- Denver Riggleman, Fmr. US Representative (R-VA), Advisory Board Co-Chair
- Jack Rosen, President of AJ Congress, Advisory Board Co-Chair
- Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Fellow
- Jerome Hauer, Fmr. NY State Homeland Security & Emergency Services Commissioner
- Mitchell Reiss, Former U.S. Department of State Director of Policy Planning
- Tonio Burgos, Former Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Member of the NYC Police Foundation
For more information on the American Jewish Congress and its efforts to combat white supremacy and domestic terrorism, visit ajcongress.org. Our latest reports on radicalization and white supremacy in the U.S. can be reviewed HERE.
