|
Dear Friends,
This week, a large swastika was found inside the U.S. State Department, close to the office of the Special Envoy to Monitor & Combat Antisemitism, setting off alarm bells inside the U.S. government, at a time of heightened antisemitic political rhetoric.
In Canada, a yarmulke-wearing Jewish man was physically assaulted while walking his dog by a man who yelled “F*** you, you Jews, you’ll never take Israel — free Palestine!” – another example of rising violent anti-Zionist Jew-hatred.
In the Netherlands, a top soccer player was targeted with a grotesque Nazi mural, depicting him in antisemitic caricature as a concentration camp inmate, after he signed with Club Ajax – widely known for its Jewish fanbase. In Jordan, an Islamic State terrorist cell was arrested for plotting to kill Israeli soldiers and Jewish foreign-nationals in the kingdom.
These highly public displays of antisemitic intimidation and violence across the ideological spectrum demonstrates the intensity with which Jew-hatred has penetrated the mainstream of society, and reinforces the need to vigorously combat it in its many forms. Meanwhile, after months of relative silence, recognition of the threat of growing antisemitism is on the rise. Streaming-giant Netflix voiced a stand against antisemitism and Holocaust denial on its social media platforms, linking to a Holocaust documentary.
Yesterday, lawmakers from seven Central American countries joined Guatemalan President Dr. Alejandro Giammattei and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid for the first-ever Central America Forum for Israel, in a united display of solidarity with the Jewish people and the State of Israel against rising antisemitisim and anti-Israel hatred.
Several U.S. states are looking at options for enforcing anti-BDS lawks in the wake of the Ben & Jerry’s Israel boycott. After the antisemitic vandalism at the U.S. State Department, President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken condemned resurgent antisemitism and announced the nomination of Emory University professor and Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt as the U.S. Ambassador-At-Large to Monitor & Combat Antisemitism. After being upgraded to an ambassador rank position last year, Lipstadt’s nomination requires confirmation in the U.S. Senate.
|
