Historic Initiative on Antisemitism by Biden Administration Leaves Much to Be Desired

Mindy Cohn

The Biden Administration released its new National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism right before Shavuos. 

The Strategy was lauded by Agudath Israel of America as a "historic, comprehensive, "all-of-government," initiative that seeks to fight Jew-hatred and its various ugly manifestations. Equally important, it sends a clear message that the United States – in its fundamental values, laws, and policies – finds antisemitism an unmitigated evil that is repugnant and intolerable and must be rooted out of the mindset and actions of American society.."

Agudath Israel also stated that many priorities were addressed in the Strategy, priorities which hopefully will boost "the security of our people and institutions; the teaching of the Holocaust and its hate-filled horrors; combatting antisemitic discrimination and violence, so much of which is directed toward the Orthodox Jewish community; accommodating Jewish and other religious needs in federal programs run by the USDA, HHS, ED and other agencies; and many other areas in which we have worked for decades."

Others have been quite vocal in expressing the feeling that the Strategy falls short of what it could have been. For instance, it actually offers only a weak protest instead of standing by the White House's longstanding commitment to strengthening civil rights and offering proper protections for Jewish students suffering from the continued ugly scourge of antisemitism on college campuses.

Instead of standing by its promise to issue regulations to the Education Department on Combating Antisemitism, the Biden administration has instead postponed the making of those regulations until December 2023, leaving Jewish students vulnerable and under attack in the meantime.

Additionally, for its newly released National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, the White House Fact Sheet boasts commitments to its cause from organizations that have already demonstrated obvious anti-Jeish bias. In contrast, there are no Orthodox Jewish organizations included in the list leaving many with the uncomfortable feeling that this does not bode well for a National Strategy meant to counter antisemitism for those who are suffering from it the most. 

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