New York, NY, May 25, 2023 – The American Jewish Congress welcomes and applauds today’s release of the White House National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The Strategy acknowledges the need and calls for a whole-of-society approach to responding to antisemitism, and this demonstrates a deep understanding of the problem and the seriousness of what is needed to respond to it.
We strongly commend President Biden for positioning the fight against antisemitism, the most ancient of hatreds, front and center in the Administration’s priorities. This first-of-its-kind initiative comes at a pivotal moment, considering the exponential rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric, discrimination against Jewish students on college campuses, and the proliferation of anti-Jewish speech on social media.
In light of the pervasiveness of anti-Jewish hatred, we appreciate the fact that the Strategy highlights the government’s embrace of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition remains the most clear, comprehensive, and broadly accepted definition of antisemitism to date, and it should serve as the foundational tool in the implementation of the Strategy and its priorities.
We have stated this before: our communities can no longer afford a method of “wait and see.” Now comes the difficult part of making sure that the valuable pillars, perspectives, and recommendations highlighted in the Strategy are successfully applied.
Towards that end, we look forward to working with the Administration on the Strategy’s implementation and on making sure that we succeed in guaranteeing a safer and hate-free future for American Jews and all Americans.
