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Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun — U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the next U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism — attended the North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday.
At the summit’s closing dinner, held inside the Caesars Superdome, Kaploun participated in a fireside chat with CAM U.S. Advisory Board Member and former U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Aaron Keyak.
The conversation was moderated by CAM U.S. Advisory Board Chair Arie Lipnick.
Only hours earlier on Wednesday, Kaploun’s nomination was advanced by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Fighting antisemitism is a moral obligation for all of us,” Kaploun said at the CAM summit. “Antisemitism is anti-American. Racism is anti-American. This is not what the Founding Fathers wanted for our country, and the fact we’re having this conversation on the eve of America’s 250th birthday means we all have a better job to do.”
“Myself, the president, the secretary of state, and the entire administration are going to work tirelessly to make sure religious liberty, justice, and restoring respect for humanity for everybody is the goal,” he vowed to the nearly 200 municipal leaders in the audience. “I will be your best partner, and the administration will be your best partner. Reach out, and I will help.”
The conversation with Rabbi Kaploun can be viewed below (from 16:30-40:00):
A statement issued by CAM President of U.S. Affairs Alyza Lewin after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on Wednesday said:
“We congratulate Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun on advancing through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with bipartisan support and urge the full Senate to swiftly confirm his nomination. At this critical moment when antisemitism continues to rise across our nation and around the world, we cannot afford leaving essential position unfilled.”
“We commend the leadership demonstrated by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s Ranking Member, and Senator Jacky Rosen, whose votes in support of Rabbi Kaploun reflect a commitment to placing the safety and dignity of Jewish communities above politics. We also thank Chairman Risch and the Republican members of the committee for their unanimous support. This is precisely the kind of cooperation our nation needs to effectively confront Jew-hatred in all its forms.”
“Rabbi Kaploun has demonstrated his readiness to serve with his clear commitment to working across political, civic, and faith communities. We specifically laud him for his explicit support for the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism which reflects the moral clarity that is needed at this moment. We call on the full Senate to act quickly and confirm Rabbi Kaploun without any further delay.”
