The U.S. House of Representatives announced today its re-launch of a bipartisan taskforce for combating anti-Semitism in the wake of a recent wave of anti-Jewish incidents.
Since January 2017, there have been 90 bomb threats called into Jewish organizations, the ADL reports, including over 60 to Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) with several more on Feb. 27.
Last week, an estimated 170 Jewish graves were found toppled at the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery in University City, Missouri, and an estimated 100 headstones were toppled at the Mount Carmel cemetery in Philadelphia Sunday.
The latest FBI statistics show the number of anti-Semitic criminal offenses rose from 635 in 2014 to 695 in 2015.
The representatives heading the taskforce include: Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Kay Granger (R-Texas), Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Peter Roskam (R-IL).
“At home and abroad, we continue to witness anti-Semitism that is both dangerous and complex,” the taskforce members said in a statement. “The recent desecration of Jewish grave sites and bomb threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and Jewish day schools across the country are deplorable. And overseas, the anti-Semitic threats, vandalism, and violence aimed at Jewish schools, synagogues, kosher supermarkets, homes and property are unacceptable. In light of recent events, it is more important than ever that Democrats and Republicans work together to root out hatred and racism in all its ugly forms. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Congress to find innovative solutions that match the 21st century face of this ancient bigotry.”
The taskforce – with over 100 Republicans and Democrats – was reinstated in the previous 114th Congress and works to ensure that Congress plays an integral role in condemning anti-Semitism and spearheading initiatives that promote tolerance worldwide, according to its statement.
The group “serves as a forum for educating [House] members on this distinct form of intolerance and to engage with the Trump Administration, foreign leaders and civil society organizations to share best practices and collaborate on solutions to rebuff this systemic problem,” according to the statement. Its members also vow to promote Holocaust remembrance in concert with exploring innovative ways to teach tolerance and confront hate. JNS.ORG
{Matzav.com}
They could certainly do a lot especially on college campuses. This is where much of it begins. These campuses should lose all their funding from the government, whether in grant money or any student load money. Since the Federal Government now runs the student loan program no loans should be given to any institution that supports any restriction of free speech, BDS, or any anti-Semitic activity.