The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation aimed at monitoring and fighting anti-Semitism overseas, and also calls on the Trump administration to take the issue more seriously.
The Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act was sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and would boost the importance and stature of the special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, a post the State Department has left vacant for 20 months. It also would make the role a nominated post rather than one appointed by an administration, and put it on par with an ambassador.
It passed easily in a 393-2 vote.
“Disturbingly, incidents of anti-Semitism are on the increase across Europe, across the Middle East, and frankly, across the world,” said Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on the House floor during Wednesday night debate on the measure. “Today, anti-Semitism is increasingly being acted upon and, in some cases, even being institutionalized.”
Royce said this includes the indoctrination of children through school curricula, institutionalization of anti-Semitism by courts and acts of violence against places of worship by Jews.
“How to they rationalize it? Under the guise of a political protest,” Royce said. “It is critical that the U.S. play a leading role to stop this scourge of hate.”
The California Republican noted that not only does the special envoy role remain unfilled, but the office has been “completely unstaffed.”
“This is unacceptable,” he said.
Rep. Elliot Engel, D-N.Y., the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that anti-Semitism in the U.S. also needs to be looked into as well and pointed to the Trump administration not doing enough to combat the issue at home.
“We’ve seen a sickening increase of anti-Semitic acts in our country as well. We’ve seen people who embrace hatred and bigotry given a loud new megaphone to spread their poison,” Engel said on the House floor.
“As a country, we need to come together to say enough is enough,” Engel said. We need to say there are not good people on good sides.”
Under the legislation, the position would also report directly to the secretary of state. It also calls on the position to be filled by an individual of “recognized distinction” in anti-Semitism, religious freedom, or law enforcement.
