AJC Impact 2021 Year-in-Review

In October 2021, AJC released its landmark State of Antisemitism in America report, the largest-ever surveys of American Jews and the general public on Jew-hatred in America. The alarming results are compelling our leaders to act. The report showed deep anxiety among the Jewish population and divergent views among the general public about the severity of the problem. In fact, 90% of American Jews said they viewed antisemitism as a problem in the U.S., while only 60% of non-Jewish Americans shared that concern. AJC has been using this data to train key federal, state, and local leaders—attorneys general, secretaries of state, FBI officials, and others—to better understand all forms of antisemitism and prepare them with the tools they need to respond.

In May 2021, as Hamas launched thousands of deadly rockets at Israeli civilians, AJC stood up for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. As anti-Israel and antisemitic vitriol spread across social media at lightning speed, AJC used our global media presence to spread the truth. With the largest social media following of any Jewish organization, AJC educated nearly 11 million people across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in real-time. Plus, through op-eds, like this open letter to The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah, AJC publicly called out leaders and celebrities who were disseminating propaganda and lies. AJC also leveraged our diplomatic ties to prompt governments worldwide to back Israel and condemn Hamas terror. And through close relationships with members of Congress, AJC pushed for bipartisan support of vital pro-Israel legislation.

Antisemitic incidents have been rising across America, confirmed by FBI reports, AJC public opinion surveys, and deadly attacks on our soil. In January 2021, AJC joined with The U.S. Conference of Mayors and launched Mayors United Against Antisemitism, a joint initiative that calls on U.S. mayors to pledge to combat Jew-hatred in their cities. More than 700 mayors, representing tens of millions of Americans, have signed on to our statement and the coalition continues to grow. AJC has also been providing training to mayors in order to help them understand antisemitism and learn how to counter it.

As Israel and its neighboring countries draw closer together, ignorance and negative attitudes towards Jews persist throughout the Middle East. AJC embarked on a bold initiative to change that. We launched ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), an Arabic-language animated video series to increase understanding on topics like Muslim-Jewish relations, the Holocaust, and the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. Since introducing the videos and Arabic social media accounts in 2020, AJC has reached more than 90 million Arabic-speakers across the Middle East and North Africa. In June 2021, AJC launched a similar effort in Farsi to engage Iranian people. With so many in the region now turning to social media for information about Jews, AJC is leveraging this opportunity to break down antisemitic stereotypes and advance understanding.

The unprecedented increase in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity has disproportionately affected young Jews. Throughout 2021, AJC readied the rising generation through leadership programs that empower young people to stand up for Israel and world Jewry. AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT) program equips high school students to be strong Jewish advocates today and tomorrow. Once on campus, AJC trains students on how to establish alliances and respond to anti-Jewish activities. And post-college, AJC ACCESS gives Jews in their 20s and 30s a global platform to advocate for the Jewish people. In 2021, AJC also launched an exciting new initiative—Disrupt Antisemitism, the first-ever incubator that funds ideas by young American Jews to address Jew-hatred.

History was made in October 2021 when Fernando Lottenberg was appointed the first Organization of American States (OAS) Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism. Creation of this new post to tackle Jew-hatred across Latin America was initially announced by OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro at AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021. The establishment of the position was strongly advocated by AJC. Lottenberg is one of Latin America’s foremost Jewish leaders and serves on the AJC Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs Board of Trustees. His appointment was yet another important step taken by Almagro to mobilize countries across the region to counter antisemitism. AJC has long worked with the OAS, and Almagro in particular, to make strides in this global fight.

Jews represent just 2% of the U.S. population, yet they are the victims of nearly 55% of religiously-motivated hate crimes. Tragically, this grossly underestimates the real number, since it is based on voluntary data. That is why AJC fought for new hate crimes legislation that would better protect Jews and others. Since 2019, AJC had been leading the charge to build bipartisan congressional support for the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. We united our coalition partners in the Muslim, Black, Latino, and Asian communities to join us in pushing Congress to pass this law that would make America safer for all minority groups. With the help of AJC’s determined advocacy, the NO HATE Act became law in May 2021. The new legislation will give law enforcement the data they need to more effectively track and counter bias crimes.

In September 2021, the UN planned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the notorious Durban World Conference against Racism. AJC had a different plan. Held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, that conference was meant to offer the international community a chance to address discrimination. Instead, it devolved into an antisemitic hate fest. Israel was demonized as racist and Jewish attendees were threatened and intimidated. For months leading up to the commemoration, AJC delivered a clear message to government officials in key nations: if your country is committed to combating antisemitism, you must skip the UN’s Durban event and support alternative, nondiscriminatory initiatives to address racism. Ultimately, 36 countries and Israel refused to participate. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid thanked AJC for our “partnership in opposing the antisemitic Durban [event].”

In October 2021, the European Union launched a comprehensive new strategy to combat antisemitism and preserve Jewish life. The plan, long encouraged by AJC, aims to accelerate the fight against rising Jew-hatred. In a significant step forward, it identifies “Israel-related antisemitism” as a major problem. For two decades, AJC has been on-the-ground in Europe, consulting with government officials and advocating for many of the measures outlined in the strategy, including: tackling the multiple sources of antisemitism; urging all EU member states to adopt and use the internationally accepted IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism; ensuring that EU external funds won’t be misused to incite violence against Jews; providing security funding and training for Jewish communities; and more.

Every day, around the world, Israel’s detractors work to tear down the Jewish state. And every day, AJC is there to fight back through initiatives like Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI). Founded in 2019 by the AJC Transatlantic Institute, TFI is the first-ever cross-party, inter-parliamentary caucus committed to strengthening the partnership between Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Israel. TFI already boasts 150+ lawmakers as members from more than 25 countries. In 2021, TFI spearheaded multiple game-changing campaigns that united hundreds of legislators to speak out for Israel on urgent issues, including: ending systemic discrimination of Israel at the UN; ensuring that Palestinian NGOs linked to terrorists are not eligible for EU funding; and affirming Israel’s right and duty to defend its citizens when it came under attack in May. In October 2021, the first national chapter of TFI opened in the Austrian parliament, providing other countries a model to follow.