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May 12, 2004
Orthodox
Union Applauds Senate Passage of Global Anti-Semitism Review Bill
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.
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