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“SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E697-E698 on May 21, 2018.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM
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HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Monday, May 21, 2018
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last week we marked up H.R. 1911, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. All of the Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism are cosponsors of the bipartisan H.R. 1911--including four members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Eliot Engel, Brad Schneider, and Ted Deutch--which I authored to advance the fight against the ancient, persistent evil of anti-Semitism, whenever and wherever it occurs in the world.
So far 80 members have cosponsored the bill, including 25 members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Many leading Jewish organizations also support the legislation.
My friend, the great former Soviet refusnik and religious prisoner, Natan Sharansky, testified at two of the nine hearings I have chaired on anti-Semitism. He proposed what he called a simple test to help us distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. Sharansky called it the ``three Ds: Demonization, double standard, and de-legitimization.''
Rabbi Andy Baker, Director for International Jewish Affairs for American Jewish Committee and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combatting-AntiSemitism, reports, ``We continue to see physical and even lethal attacks on Jews in Europe, efforts to restrict or ban elemental religious practices, and emboldened extremist political parties with an anti-Semitic agenda. Even as European governments have come to recognize the dangers facing their Jewish communities, many still have failed to devote the necessary resources to protect them or to be clear-eyed in recognizing the sources of the problem.'' This past March an 85-year Holocaust survivor, Mireille Knoll, was brutally murdered in Paris, an abhorrent example of anti-Semitic hatred.
According to B'nai Brith International, ``Unfortunately, we continue to see the dramatic growth of anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe and the Islamic world. This scourge has reached its highest level since World War II. B'nai Brith International is dedicated to shining the spotlight on hatred of Jews as a distinct and unique social illness, and to marshaling efforts to combat, and wherever possible, eradicate this phenomenon.'' According to B'nai Brith Canada, ``Last year was a record-breaking year for anti-Semitism in Canada, according to a new audit by B'nai Brith's league for human rights. As Global's Anne Leclair reports, Quebec ranks second in the country for reported anti-
Semitic activity.''
The Kator Center on Anti-Semitism Worldwide sounded the alarm; stating ``Europe's largest Jewish communities are experiencing a normalization and mainstreaming of anti-Semitism not seen since the Second World War.''
There is an urgent need for a comprehensive United States government approach to combating anti-Semitism--led by a strong, senior official. In 2004, Congress passed and signed into law the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. I was the prime sponsor of the provisions that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism in the State Department and position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-
Semitism to lead it.
H.R. 1911 would elevate the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-
Semitism to the rank of Ambassador, to be nominated by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State. It would mandate the Special Envoy to serve as the primary advisor to the United States government on monitoring and combating anti-Semitism in foreign countries and coordinate efforts across the government.
The bill would prohibit the Special Envoy from being double-hatted with duties and responsibilities unrelated to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism. It would also require the President to nominate a Special Envoy within 90 days of the enactment of this act and thereafter within 120 whenever the position is empty.
Since Congress created the position, there have been long delays in every Administration filling it.
PRESIDENT BUSH: 583 days
PRESIDENT OBAMA: 307 days and 227 days
When they were appointed, Gregg Rickman, Hannah Rosenthal, and Ira Forman did a tremendous job. Currently there has been no Special Envoy for 482 days. I and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including you Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, called on the President and Secretary Tillerson to appoint someone as a matter oftop priority. I repeat that call and urge Secretary Pompeo to appoint a Special Envoy now.
Jewish communities here and abroad continue to be targeted for hatred and deadly violence. America has a proud bipartisan history of leading the fight against anti-Semitism, including this House unanimously--
passing H. Res. 354 in 2015, which I authored as a detailed blueprint for actions that are critical to prevent more deadly attacks on Europe's Jewish communities.
We must build and expand on this history. The Special Envoy is critical to focusing and redoubling our leadership and this bill enhances the position. I ask my fellow committee members to support this vital legislation.
I also ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017. This bill will strengthen our efforts to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. My friend Ann Wagner is the sponsor of this legislation and I am proud to cosponsor it.
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