Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt speaks at a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 2024 (Photo: World Jewish Congress/X)
The U.S. government’s envoy to counter antisemitism believes that a growing number of countries are increasingly recognizing antisemitism as a threat to all societies. The threat of antisemitism has been particularly evident after the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and massacre, which was followed by a rise in terror attacks on Jews worldwide.
“Since October 7, many countries have now recognized that it’s a problem,” U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt told The Jerusalem Post last week.
“What are the best practices? Other countries, allies of the US, and countries that are not our strongest allies, would say to us – we agree with you; you don’t have to convince us that this is an issue – but what do we do?” she said.
Lipstadt addressed this question two months ago when she led the publication of the “Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism,” a document considered a landmark in the global fight against antisemitism. “This is the first time there has ever been an international framework for responding to antisemitism,” she added.
Some 42 countries have so far signed the guidelines that focus on adopting and implementing strategies to combat antisemitism. The document also stresses the importance of education and international cooperation as antisemitism moves across borders worldwide.
In March 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden appointed Lipstadt as Washington’s official antisemitism envoy. As an expert on antisemitism, she emphasized the uniqueness of this old bigotry.
“It is one of the oldest hatreds, one of the most consistent hatreds in the world. It’s like a virus. It adapts. There is no other prejudice that can be found on the Right and on the Left; that can be found amongst Christians, Muslims, atheists, Jews; and between socialists, communists, and the most conservative right-wing nationalists. There is no other prejudice that has proven adaptable to so many entities. And it morphs – it has morphed over centuries, and over millennia. That should leave our minds boggled, but we know it’s a reality,” Lipstadt explained. She is also concerned about the politicization of antisemitism.
“If you only see antisemitism on the opposite side of the spectrum, you have to ask, are you really fighting antisemitism, or are you really just fighting your political enemies? Wherever it comes from, be against it,” Lipstadt emphasized.
The rise of global antisemitism has made the global guidelines against antisemitism even more relevant.
Antisemitic incidents increased by a whopping 500% in 2023, according to a report conducted by the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency and Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry. The report also noted a 400% increase in online antisemitism after the Hamas October 7 attack on the Jewish state.
“It’s a tool that is now out there,” Lipstadt said while stressing, “We are not the global guidelines police.”
“We are now meeting with our counterparts about implementation, what can be done, and collection of data. We’ve got to know what we’re fighting, how bad the problem is, and how significant it is. This is just a baby that was born a month ago.”
Despite the many challenges and threats, Lipstadt expressed cautious optimism about the U.S. government’s efforts to combat antisemitism and protect the Jewish community.
“Not only are we still here – it’s a difficult time – but we’re here and, on some level, we still thrive. There’s a Jewish state. There’s an ambassador at the State Department, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with a portfolio to address antisemitism. That’s unbelievable.”
