Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – applauded a strong denunciation of anti-Semitism delivered today by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at an international conference on anti-Semitism being held in Berlin, Germany.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [“OSCE”] is sponsoring the conference on anti-Semitism at which Secretary Powell spoke and to which Ms. Betty Ehrenberg, the UOJCA’s director of international affairs, is an official delegate appointed by the State Department.

In his remarks, Secretary Powell stated:

Today we confront the ugly reality that anti-Semitism is not just a fact of history, but a current event…. There is no justification for anti-Semitism. [And] the line is crossed when Israel or its leaders are demonized or vilified, for example by the use of Nazi symbols and racist caricatures.

UOJCA president, Harvey Blitz, commented on the Secretary’s remarks, stating:

The Orthodox Jewish community applauds Secretary of State Powell for issuing a vigorous denunciation of the scourge of anti-Semitism which has reared its head yet again in Europe in recent years. We deeply appreciate the impact that the Secretary’s personal participation and strong words have upon such a conference and hope it will lead the OSCE members to take concrete actions to combat anti-Semitism in Europe.