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B’nai B’rith International President Gary P. Saltzman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
B’nai B’rith International is pleased that the U.S. State Department is moving forward to appoint a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. While anti-Semitism has always been a central concern in our country and around the world, the number of global anti-Semitic incidents and the intensity of anti-Israel hatred in public discourse have reached alarming levels.
 
B’nai B’rith has long spoken out about the vital nature of this position. The impact of the United States government placing its power and prestige behind the issue of anti-Semitism and combating it, cannot be overstated.

In March, B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and Mark B. Levin, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ) executive vice chairman and CEO, wrote an op-ed for Fox News, addressing the necessity for this special envoy and how the United States needs to lead by example. Click here to read the op-ed.
 
In June, we, along with five other Jewish organizations, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging him not to eliminate the position.
 
Former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Ira Forman joined our podcast in May. He discussed the bipartisan origins of the envoy post and how various countries experience different kinds of anti-Semitism. He also noted that by prioritizing the position, the United States sets an important example to other governments about taking the lead in combating anti-Semitism. Click here to listen to the podcast.