Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky letter to Amb. Thomas-Greenfield

The Honorable Linda Thomas-Greenfield
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
United States Mission to the United Nations
799 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017

Dear Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield,

We write to thank you and the entire Biden Administration for your dedication to combating antisemitism, both globally and here in the United States. We commend the Administration for the development of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and for its practical, action-oriented framing. This strategy embodies the administration’s unwavering commitment to fighting antisemitism while protecting free speech and safeguarding the rights of all individuals.

We also applaud the administration’s decision not to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in this strategy and to instead look to several definitions of antisemitism. Together, these definitions serve as a valuable tool to raise awareness and increase understanding of antisemitism. We believe the U.S. National Strategy properly uses all tools at the Administration’s disposal while maintaining a focus on specific and direct actions to counter antisemitism. We hope this inclusive and effective model to counter antisemitism will be used across the globe.

The gold standard set by the National Strategy should set the tone for the United States’ policies abroad and, as the United Nations develops its own plan to combat antisemitism, we urge you to push for the UN to implement a similar comprehensive, nuanced and action-based approach.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We trust in your dedication to promoting human rights, fostering dialogue, and countering antisemitism. We look forward to working with you to ensure that any global efforts to combat antisemitism are grounded in principles of freedom, fairness, and justice.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky

Cc: Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt
Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism
United States Department of State
2201 C St NW
Washington, DC 20520