(Washington, D.C., Dec. 17, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement: 

We applaud the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2019. Approval of this bipartisan legislation sends a strong message that the U.S. will not tolerate anti-Semitism anywhere in the world. 

​​The bill provides the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism with new resources to bolster the fight against global anti-Semitism. It also solidifies combating anti-Semitism as a priority of U.S. foreign policy and will help the Special Envoy confront other governments about this persistent social illness. 

We would like to thank Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for introducing the Senate legislation, as well as the Democratic and Republican Senators who co-sponsored the bill and pushed for its passage. We also thank Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), one of the bill’s original co-sponsors, for noting B’nai B’rith’s support of the legislation in her statement on the bill’s passage. 

We urge the House of Representatives, which passed its own bill in 2019, to quickly approve the Senate version of the legislation. We call on President Trump to then sign the bill into law. 

B’nai B’rith has argued for a State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism since the creation of the position with the passage of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. We view the ability of such an official to bring the prestige and authority of the U.S. government to bear on this issue as invaluable to the global effort. 

​B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.