US Unveils National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism

Facts

• The Biden admin. on Thursday published a national strategy to immediately address rising anti semitism in the US. The scope of the strategy encompassed actions across public sector agencies, law enforcement, education, and online spaces.¹
• The strategy includes improving safety and security for Jewish communities, with Pres. Biden insisting "antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence have no place in America."²
• The strategy – which focuses on four basic goals, including reversing the normalization of antisemitism – outlines more than 100 steps the US government and its partners will take to counter hateful rhetoric and actions.³
• Per the FBI, American Jews are the victims of 63% of reported religious hate crimes yet only account for slightly more than 2% of the US population.⁴
• The strategy, which comes amid a continuing debate about how to define anti semitism, stopped short of officially and overtly adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism advocated for by pro-Israel groups.⁵
• While pro-Palestine groups allege that the Alliance's definition — which says criticism of Israel cannot be regarded as anti semitic — is used to stifle discourse about Israeli human rights abuses, pro-Israel groups argue that directing anti-Israel messaging at Jews should be considered anti semitic.⁶

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²CBS, ³Associated Press, ⁴The National, ⁵Vox, and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Biden's carefully-worded language seemed to please elements on both sides of the Israel-Palestine issue. Antisemitism is becoming alarming normalized in the US, but this is due to right-wing politicians and constituencies that are becoming increasingly radicalized. This policy will go a long way towards taking a firm stance against a shocking and unacceptable rise of antisemitism.
• Right narrative, as provided by New York Post. The Biden admin. has disturbingly diluted the definition of antisemitism, as it failed to condemn opposition to Israel's creation or to hold the Jewish state to different standards than other countries. The US government should strictly use the IHRA's definition of antisemitism. The Biden admin. must make clear that any opposition to Israel's right to exist is antisemitism, plain and simple.

Predictions