AJC Welcomes Retention of U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised the announcement by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the Administration plans to retain the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism—which is currently vacant—even as the State Department undergoes significant restructuring and the elimination and reassignment of staff positions. Secretary Tillerson relayed the news in a letter to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Office to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism was created by congressional statute in 2004 to raise awareness and track incidents of global anti-Semitism, and to treat the matter as a human-rights issue. Since its establishment, the office has monitored and reported on incidents of anti-Semitism, and developed and implemented programs to combat it.

AJC CEO David Harris said: "The Administration's decision to keep the position of Special Envoy comes as welcome news. As anti-Semitic expressions and acts multiply in many parts of the world, the work of this office only becomes more important and offers a model for other likeminded countries to emulate."

Harris urged Secretary Tillerson to swiftly appoint a new Special Envoy, and to ensure the resources and departmental stature necessary to continue the important efforts of those who held the positon in previous Administrations.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

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