14 | JUNE 8 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
O
n May 25, the
Biden-Harris
Administration
released the first-ever U.S
National Strategy to Counter
Antisemitism.
This strategy advances a
whole-of-society approach
to countering antisemitism,
resting on four pillars: increase
awareness and understanding
of antisemitism, including
its threat to America, and
broaden appreciation of
Jewish American heritage;
improve safety and security
for Jewish communities;
reverse the normalization
of antisemitism and counter
antisemitic discrimination;
and build cross-community
solidarity and collective action
to counter hate.
To develop this strategy,
listening sessions were held
with more than 1,000 diverse
stakeholders across the Jewish
community and beyond.
These listening sessions
with stakeholders sought
their perspectives, analysis,
expertise and views on how
antisemitism manifests today
and how we should fight it at
every level, from the national
scale to the grassroots.
These discussions provided
critical insights into the
experience of antisemitism
in America and produced
concrete ideas to counter it.
To implement this strategy,
executive agencies will take
a broad array of actions to
address antisemitism. This
strategy also calls on Congress
to act and play its part in
countering antisemitism.
It urges action from all
of society — state and local
authorities, civil society,
community and faith leaders,
the private sector and
individual citizens.
This strategy includes over
100 new actions and over
100 calls to action to combat
antisemitism, including
new actions to counter
antisemitism on college
campuses and online.
For example, the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum
will launch the first-ever U.S.-
based Holocaust education
research center in 2024, while
the National Endowment for
the Humanities will expand
investment in K-12 education
on Jewish history.
The U.S. has witnessed an
alarming rise in antisemitism
in recent years. The 2022
Audit of Antisemitic Incidents
issued March 23 by the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL)
showed troubling nationwide
figures. Antisemitic incidents
once again reached an all-
time high in the United
States in 2022, with a total
of 3,697 incidents of assault,
harassment and vandalism
reported to the ADL.
The 36% year-over-year
increase represents the largest
number of incidents on record
since ADL began tracking
antisemitic incidents in 1979.
“
As the U.S. Jewish
community is experiencing
antisemitism at levels not
seen in generations, we deeply
appreciate that the White
House has stepped up and
delivered this significant,
comprehensive strategy,”
Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL
CEO, said in a statement.
Speaking during a
videotaped address at the
White House, Biden said the
strategy sends a “clear and
forceful message” that “in
America, evil will not win,
hate will not prevail” and
The Biden-Harris Administration released its awaited
U.S National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
A First-Ever National Strategy
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
SCREENSHOT
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks about the Biden administration’s antisemitism strategy at the
State Department, May 25, 2023.