125 US lawmakers call for ‘whole of government’ approach to combat antisemitism

A bipartisan slate of 125 US lawmakers from both chambers are calling on the Biden administration to adopt a “whole of government” policy to combat antisemitism.

A letter sent today to President Joe Biden, spearheaded by the chairmen of congressional task forces for combating antisemitism, calls for action from officials from an array of agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, FBI, State Department, White House, Department of Education and US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The letter pushes for the creation of “an interagency task force led by an official at the Assistant Secretary rank or higher,” and it cites an FBI report saying there was a 6% rise in antisemitic hate crimes in 2020.

“Because many individual agencies play a critical role in combating antisemitism, closer coordination is needed to share best practices, data, and intelligence; identify gaps in efforts; streamline overlapping activities and roles; and execute a unified national strategy,” the letter says.