US Senate committee votes to upgrade status of anti-Semitism czar

The US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has approved upgrading the role of the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism to that of an ambassador.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomes the move, which it says will provide the role “with additional prominence and visibility on the world stage.” It says the post “plays a critically important part in the global fight against the increasingly urgent threat of resurgent anti-Semitism around the world.”

The committee also passed the US-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020, approving the allocation of $3.8 billion annually in US aid to Israel as part of a 2016 10-year memorandum of understanding between the countries.

The measures now move to the full Senate for approval.