Letter to the Hon. Rex Tillerson, Secretary US Department of State - Plea to not Close Anti-Semitism Office

Letter

Dear Secretary Tillerson:

I am writing to urge the State Department not to close down an office that was created 13 years ago to fight anti-Semitism throughout the world.

Reports that the State Department is planning to vacate the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism are extremely troubling and send the wrong message at a time of escalating violence against the Jewish faith.

For more than a decade, the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism has played an important role in helping safeguard vulnerable Jewish communities. Established in 2004 under President George W. Bush, the office has put the United States at the forefront of the international fight to crack down on anti-Semitism by promoting tolerance and raising awareness on the world stage. For instance, the U.S. envoy joined an international protest in 2015 admonishing Hungary's plans to erect a life-size bronze statue of Balint Homan, a wartime politician who promoted the persecution of the country's Jewish population in the 1930s.

From the desecration of Jewish cemeteries to the bomb threats at Jewish community centers, the recent outbreak of anti-Semitic activity on American soil must be condemned. The Anti-Defamation League reported that the number of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide spiked by 86 percent in the first three months of this year alone.

Now, more than ever, the United States should send a clear message to the world that anti-Semitism in any form will not be tolerated. We must start by filling the special envoy post responsible for monitoring and combating anti-Semitic activity. A failure to do so would be a step backward for Jewish communities in the United States and around the globe.

Sincerely,

Vern Buchanan

Member of Congress

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