The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America praised the passage by the U.S. Senate of a bill mandating global assessment of anti-Semitism. The new law, S.2292, introduced by Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), will mandate the State Department to report on anti-Semitic acts worldwide and include information on what appropriate action foreign governments have taken in response.

“We applaud the United States Senate and the leadership of Senator George Voinovich for their efforts to combat anti-Semitism. The passing of S.2292 strengthens U.S. leadership in the area of government accountability for consistent and concrete action needed to be taken against anti-Semitism,” said Betty Ehrenberg, Director of International and Communal Affairs. Ms. Ehrenberg recently returned from the OSCE Conference on anti-Semitism held in Berlin where she served as a Public Member of the United States delegation to the Conference.

“We praise the Senate for placing great importance on drawing from lessons learned in combating anti-Semitism and racism from the experience and initiatives of both governments and NGO’s in order to help create an international environment of stability, understanding, and respect. We applaud the leadership of the White House and State Department for its dedication to strengthening U.S. commitment to setting an example for governments around the world. The gathering of information and statistics, as well as governmental responses to anti-Semitic crimes, and the public reporting of these events, are crucial steps in both diagnosing and treating the disease of anti-Semitism.”

Two related bills, introduced by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Tom Lantos (D-CA), have already been introduced in the House and the OU looks forward to seeing a House version passed very soon.