After months of pressure from Jewish communal organizations, the Biden administration on Friday announced its nomination for US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
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Deborah Lipstadt, 74, is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University and the author of numerous books on the subject. Her 2019 book "Antisemitism Here and Now," which won the National Jewish Book Award that year, is considered a primer on antisemitism, according to the American Jewish Committee.
"The Biden administration has chosen wisely in appointing Deborah Lipstadt to fill this ambassadorial post, so vital to US leadership in fighting antisemitism," AJC CEO David Harris said in a news release. "Professor Lipstadt is one of this country's – indeed the world's – foremost experts on modern antisemitism, its constant morphing and multiple sources, and the current challenges to confronting it."
The position was created by the US Congress in 2004. Most recently, it was filled by Elan Carr under US President Donald Trump's administration. The position was upgraded to the rank of ambassador in the final months of the administration and now requires Senate confirmation.
The role of the ambassador is to increase awareness both in the United States and internationally of the menace of antisemitism and urge governments and institutions to take action to protect vulnerable Jewish communities.
"I first met Deborah Lipstadt in 1990 when she was the resident scholar on a trip to Poland and Israel. For decades, she has served as both academic and activist, inspiring policymakers to confront the harsh realities of antisemitism in our world and fight for justice," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said in a news release. "I can't imagine a better, more qualified person to lead the United States' efforts to combat antisemitism. Amid recent rising antisemitism around the globe, Deborah Lipstadt will lead with a vigorous moral clarity."
Lipstadt was the target of a libel suit from British Holocaust denier David Irving over how he was described in her 1993 book "Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory."
The lawsuit went on for five years until the London courts ruled in favor of Lipstadt in April 2000. Lipstadt's ordeal was made the focus of the 2016 film "Denial," where she was played by British actress Rachel Weisz.
Lipstadt's nomination was hailed by numerous Jewish organizations, which over the past months had been lobbying the White House to appoint a candidate as violent acts of antisemitism have seen exponential growth in the United States and the world, especially in the aftermath of Israel's conflict with Hamas in May.
This week, a swastika was discovered etched in a wood panel of an elevator inside the US State Department, not far from where Lipstadt's office will be.
Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer, welcomed the news on Friday.
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"With antisemitism on the rise in the US and around the world, Dr. Lipstadt is absolutely the right person at the right time for this critical role," Soifer said in a news release. "Dr. Lipstadt is one of the leading global authorities on antisemitism given her meticulous scholarship, deep personal commitment to the truth, and profound understanding of the dangers of extremism."
"We extend our sincere congratulations to Deborah Lipstadt upon her expected nomination to this critical State Department post that comes at a time we are witnessing a terrible surge in attacks and threats committed against the global Jewish community," Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy at the Orthodox Union, said in a release. "These range from assaults on individuals to legal assaults on fundamental Jewish rites including Kashrut and Brit Mila [circumcision ceremonies]. While it's unfortunate we need to have such a position at the State Department, Prof. Lipstadt is certainly the best person to fill this job."
B'nai B'rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin also applauded the nomination in a joint news release, in which they called her eminently qualified for the post.
"She has devoted her professional life to studying, teaching, and writing about the world's oldest hatred and to countering it on a global scale," they wrote. "B'nai B'rith looks forward to working with Lipstadt as antisemitism has spiked exponentially in the United States and around the world, manifesting itself in many forms and variants, oftentimes fueled by social media.
They continued: "It is vitally important that the US government, through the person of the special envoy, continue to assume a leadership position in the battle against this alarmingly growing challenge. Lipstadt's appointment is a most reassuring indication that this will indeed be effectuated."
The American Jewish Committee (AJC), expressed its approval of the appointment.
"The Biden Administration has chosen wisely in appointing Deborah Lipstadt to fill this ambassadorial post, so vital to US leadership in fighting antisemitism," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Professor Lipstadt is one of this country's, indeed the world's, foremost experts on modern antisemitism, its constant morphing and multiple sources, and the current challenges to confronting it. AJC has been honored to work closely with her for years, and we eagerly look forward to partnering to advance the envoy office's mission."
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
