38 Febraury 14 • 2019
jn
Anti-Semitism Envoy
Finally Appointed
Trump’
s new anti-Semitism monitor comes with diverse skills.
E
lan Carr’
s career, until now, has
been equal parts prosecutor,
policy wonk, politico and per-
formance artist.
That makes him
perfect for his new
job as the State
Department’
s special
envoy to monitor
anti-Semitism. He
was appointed last
week.
Ira Forman, Carr’
s
predecessor, who has
been leading calls
for President Donald
Trump to fill the posi-
tion — unfilled since
Forman’
s departure
two years ago — said
Carr’
s CV speaks well
of the skills he brings to the post.
“His political skills should serve him
well because part of the job is the art
of the possible,” he said.
Forman cited his successor’
s
background in the U.S. Army, his
leadership of a Jewish fraternity, his
day school background, his mixed
Mizrahi-Ashkenazi heritage and his
fluency in Arabic and Hebrew.
Forman said the community should
be grateful now that Trump and
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have
filled the job.
“We’
ve all been complaining it
hasn’
t happened, and we should now
be happy it’
s happened,” said Forman,
who now works with Human Rights
First, an NGO, to monitor and combat
anti-Semitism.
Indeed, some of the organizations
that have been leading the criticism
of Trump for the delay could barely
contain their pleasant surprise: There
were rumors that Trump might fill
the slot with an unqualified donor or,
worse, someone linked to the far-right
elements that helped propel Trump to
power and have influenced some of
his policies, particularly on immigra-
tion.
Instead they are getting Carr,
an affable, cross-the-aisle type of
Republican who has gotten down and
deep combating anti-Semitism and
anti-Israel activity on campuses.
The statement by Anti-Defamation
League CEO Jonathan
Greenblatt, perhaps
Trump’
s most out-
spoken critic among
the large mainstream
Jewish groups, nota-
bly focused on Carr’
s
biography in “enthu-
siastically” welcoming
the pick.
“Carr knows all
too well the scourge
of hate,” Greenblatt
said. “His grandfather
was imprisoned after
an anti-Semitic show
trial in Iraq, where
Elan later served as a U.S. Army judge
advocate. He has been a leader in the
fight against anti-Semitism on college
campuses and has long advocated
for working across the aisle to craft
thoughtful compromises, including in
support of Israel.”
The American Jewish Committee
said it was “grateful” for the appoint-
ment and also noted in its statement
the intensive lobbying by the Jewish
community and others to fill the con-
gressionally mandated job.
Jewish Democrats in the U.S. House
of Representatives welcomed the
appointment, but also emphasized the
long wait.
The Wiesenthal Center said Carr
“brings to the Special Envoy position
boundless energy and a keen legal eye.
”
B’
nai B’
rith International called the
appointment “outstanding,
” and the
Israeli American Council said there is
“nobody more qualified” than Carr.
Carr is plunging into his work,
last week he went to a conference on
anti-Semitism in Bratislava organized
by Slovakia, which currently holds the
chair of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, and then
a European Union conference on
anti-Semitism in Brussels.
“He sees this as a nonpartisan job,”
said Matt Brooks, the executive direc-
tor of the Republican Jewish Coalition
who has known Carr for decades.
Carr, 50, has since 2004 served as
a criminal prosecutor in Los Angeles
County, specializing in gang violence.
His approach has been holistic, focus-
ing on the circumstances that drive
youths to crime and not just on the
crimes.
The big picture emphasis could
serve him well in the job of anti-Semi-
tism monitor, where he will be expect-
ed to take officials to task for specific
anti-Semitic acts in their countries or
even in their governments, while also
gently encouraging larger fixes in edu-
cation and rhetoric to roll back bias.
Carolyn Normandin, regional direc-
tor of the ADL in Michigan, welcomes
the appointment. “We have repeatedly
called for the administration to fill this
position, and Carr has a deep breadth
of knowledge and experience to bring
to this critical role,” she said. “Carr
has been a leader in the fight against
anti-Semitism on college campuses
and has advocated for thoughtful
bipartisan work in this area.”
Normandin added that the ADL
is also deeply committed to the sup-
port of H.R. 221/S. 238 — the Special
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-
Semitism Act, which would give Carr
the rank of ambassador and ensure
that, in the future, the position be
appointed by the president with the
advice and consent of the Senate. The
law would impose a legal limit of 90
days for how long any administration
could leave the job unfilled.
“The House passed this import-
ant bill several weeks ago by a vote
of 411 to 1,” Normandin said. “This
act would help make up for lost
time when the envoy position was
vacant. We urge the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and full Senate
to take swift action on the bill, and we
urge the full-funding of Carr’
s office to
ensure success.” ■
Managing Editor Jackie Headapohl contribut-
ed to this report.
eretz
RON KAMPEAS JTA.ORG
Elan Carr
WIKIPEDIA
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