Press Releases and Statements

The first in a series of short videos to foster awareness of Jewish and Muslim contributions to American society was released today by the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC). The videos and other stories of Muslim-Jewish cooperation will be promoted on MJAC’s new Facebook (@MJACAdvocacy) and Twitter (@Muslim_Jewish) pages, also unveiled today.

An updated, expanded edition of Translate Hate, American Jewish Committee’s (AJC’s) widely-used glossary of common antisemitic terms and tropes, was released today and is now available at AJC.org/TranslateHateGlossary. Release of the edition comes on the second anniversary of the fatal attack on the Chabad of Poway, California.

“Decisive bipartisan support in the Senate for this landmark bill demonstrates that unity is achievable in building defenses against hate,” said Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer. “We now look to rapid House passage of the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, and to President Biden signing it into law.”

The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC) praises the passage of the Jabara-Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act 94-1, as an amendment to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in the U.S. Senate.

“Hosting a program that is a blatant attack on Israel and questions the most widely accepted definition of antisemitism is an assault on Murray Friedman’s legacy, and all in our community who have been involved with the Feinstein Center for years,” said AJC Philadelphia Director Marcia Bronstein. “Regrettably, our suggestion to add a speaker with another perspective to bring truth and balance to the program was spurned.”

American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes the announcement of bipartisan reintroduction of a bill in the House of Representatives and Senate to improve hate crimes reporting and governmental responses to hate. The Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act, led by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) in the House, and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) in the Senate, seeks to close gaps in the reporting of hate crimes across the nation.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) and The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) announced today that more than 525 mayors across the United States have joined their joint national effort to combat antisemitism. The two organizations, which have partnered on other projects, are calling on mayors across the country to sign a statement declaring that antisemitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.

Jason Isaacson, American Jewish Committee (AJC) Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, today called for all UN member states to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. “To combat antisemitism, those in positions of authority – whether in the classroom, or in law enforcement, or in a sports club – must be able to identify it,” said Isaacson, addressing the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) conference on “Exploring Holistic Approaches to Combating Antisemitism.”

American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) are partnering to combat antisemitism in the United States. On February 24, AJC staff will engage NAAG members in a virtual training session, “The People v. Hate: Standing Up for Humanity through Combating Antisemitism.” The AJC-led training dovetails with District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine’s 2021 NAAG Presidential Initiative to unite all attorneys general across the United States to counter hate and hate-related violence nationwide.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomed a U.S. State Department official’s statement confirming that President Biden “embraces and champions” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today released an Arabic-language video about the infamous antisemitic forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, part of the organization’s popular Arabic video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”). The film is the fifth in AJC’s Arabic-language video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), which has been viewed by tens of millions of Arabic-speakers around the world.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Berlin welcomes FC Bayern Munich’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. Today’s announcement coincides with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“The new pop-up treatment is a proactive step by Facebook for truthful Holocaust education. But the priority remains ensuring that Holocaust denial is entirely taken down from Facebook,” said AJC CEO David Harris. Facebook cited AJC as a partner in creating this critical resource.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) announced today the launch of a national effort to combat antisemitism. The two organizations, which have partnered on other projects, are calling on mayors across the country to sign a statement declaring that antisemitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Berlin welcomes the joint declaration of five major German corporations to combat antisemitism. Daimler, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen, and Borussia Dortmund published a statement today endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. Germany’s Friends of Yad Vashem joined in the statement, issued on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Antisemitism fundamentally is not only a Jewish problem; it is a societal one. It is a reflection on the declining health of our society,” Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, told the FBI officials on a video conference briefing. “Education is essential, to clarify what constitutes antisemitism, the various sources of this hatred, and what effective tools are available for law enforcement to fight antisemitism.”

AJC Europe welcomes the European Commission’s publication of the Handbook for the Practical Use of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. This new publication offers clear guidance and examples of how the definition is already being used throughout Europe by law enforcement, the judiciary, educational institutions, and civil society.

“Bravo to Lord John Mann and all of those involved in this landmark decision,” said AJC CEO David Harris. Mann is the British government’s top advisor on antisemitism and a leading proponent of the IHRA working definition. “The importance of the British Premier League recognizing the most widely used definition of antisemitism cannot be overstated,” said Harris. “Hundreds of millions of people around the world follow closely the Premier League’s teams and players. The impact of today’s decision and its implementation can be extraordinarily helpful in the battle against rising antisemitism.”

American Jewish Committee, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, warned today that the continuing rise in hate crimes incidents targeting Jews in the United States is a threat to society that demands urgent national attention. While Jews account for less than 2% of the American population, the new FBI Hate Crimes Statistics report found that more than 60% of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jews, an increase of 14% over 2018.

Holly Huffnagle, American Jewish Committee (AJC) U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, briefed members of the Inter-parliamentary Task Force on Online Antisemitism. “The future of combating antisemitism, in many ways, is combating the digitization of the problem. We all need to send the message that antisemitism in any form is unacceptable on or offline,” Huffnagle told the task force.