At Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, Portman Highlights Urgency of Combating Anti-Semitism

Press Release

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) discussed ways to combat root causes of anti-Semitism with Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt, nominee to be Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Both agreed that the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which Portman has been a long-time advocate of, has provided the Jewish community with valuable training and assistance in the face of anti-Semitic attacks. Portman highlighted his Pray Safe Act, which establishes a federal clearinghouse through which faith-based organizations and houses of worship could access information on safety and security best practices, available federal grant programs, and training opportunities. Lastly, Portman emphasized the need to tighten our Visa Waiver program, as current standards have allowed terrorists into our country, like the man who took multiple people hostage in a Colleyville, Texas, synagogue.

Senator Portman: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the hearing today, and I appreciate just hearing about some improvements in Central America, which is always good news given the impact it has on the people of those countries, but also on our current situation with regard to illegal migration. So you're going to have your hands full. And it's really important that we do all we can to deal with the push factors in those countries.

"My question, Mr. Chairman, is to Dr. Lipstadt, you're about to fill a really important position. And with your background, I think you'll fill it well. I've had a number of constituents actually reach out on your behalf, who have worked with you, and as the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, we've continued to advocate for something I think you are aware of, which is called the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. This is a critical source of funding for houses of worship, other nonprofits. It's been used primarily in the Jewish community as synagogues, community centers, schools face increasing threats, anti-Semitism and other hate crimes, growing threats of violence. We just saw this recently with regard to the kidnapping in Texas. As we continue to help protect targets of anti-Semitic violence, we've got to also combat the root causes, of course. How do you propose we address the root causes of anti-Semitism?"

Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt: "Thank you very much. I'm well aware of that program. I've benefited from it in my own synagogue and other synagogues. I was just talking to Ms. Eisen, who's here from Colleyville, Texas, and she was telling me that the synagogue needs a lot of repair after what happened. And I said, "how do you pay for that?' And she said, "well, what insurance doesn't pay, the government is helping with us.' I don't know if it's through this specific program, but I was glad to hear that.

"But back to the bigger issue of the root causes. Anti-Semitism has the moniker of being the oldest or the longest hatred. It's been around for a very long time. And though I don't surprise easily, given my field of study, it's sometimes surprising that as I said in my opening statement, but less than eight decades after the Holocaust that we should be facing anti-Semitism. Many people predicted after the Holocaust that that was the end of anti-Semitism and we're surprised, or as the British would say, gobsmacked to the degree which it is not. I plan to become a thorn in the side of those who engage in anti-Semitism.

"There are those who are violent anti-Semites. We saw that in Texas. We saw that in the streets, as Senator Schumer said earlier, of Williamsburg. We saw that in Charlottesville. We saw that in Holle, Germany, and so many places throughout Europe. But they're also the polite anti-Semites, the people who say things but I'm just saying it or don't think about the implications of what they say. I think all those people have to be called out. And then governments have to be told that this is something we take very seriously, and we'll work with you on it. We'll work with you on it.

"This is not a way of the center of the United States making a small group of Jews feel comfortable or feel happy. But we see this as a danger to the founding ideals of this Republic. We see this as a sign of what could be and we recognize, and most of all Senator, no genocide, no attack begins with the attack. Whether you're talking about a genocide in Europe, whether you're talking about a genocide in Rwanda, wherever you are. It starts with words. And as some of your colleagues have mentioned, the Holocaust Museum, you just go down the block and you can see how it starts with words, and then it escalates.

"That doesn't mean it's always going to escalate to a Holocaust. But if you're going to stop something, you stop it when well before it is of that degree. So I plan to be as energetic as possible in fighting this. I never thought I would be in this position, but if I have the honor of being confirmed, I want to make a difference in that regard."

Senator Portman: "Well, again, given your background, you're well qualified to take on that task, including the international task, and we want to work with you on that. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program did provide the synagogue in Texas with hardening, as I understand it, including cameras, which were very helpful with regard to the hostage taking, but also training. And one thing we have found out is that although these grant programs have been effectively used in some areas of the country, other folks don't know about it. The Sikh community, the Muslim community, the Jewish community, the Christian community, it's available broadly for these kinds of threats.

"So we've introduced new legislation called the Pray Safe Act, which is to provide houses of worship one centralized place where you can find out what the best practices are, find out what training is available. This is with Senators Shaheen and Hassan. And my sense is that following the incident in Colleyville, Texas, this is more important than ever to let people know what's available to them. Have you looked at that Pray Safe Act?"

Dr. Lipstadt: "I have looked at it. I haven't studied it in depth because my remit, of course, if confirmed, will be abroad. But the division between domestic and international anti-Semitism is getting murkier. The terrorist, the kidnapper, the would-be murderer in Colleyville was radicalized abroad, and then he came here to do his handiwork. The divisions we used to draw are not as clear. Clearly, my remit in the State Department is abroad, but you can't -- the hard lines, especially with social media, for better or for worse, it's harder to draw those lines.

"My synagogue has benefited from this program, and I have to tell you, speaking personally, just for a second, I sat in synagogue about, I guess it was before COVID, but about two years ago where the Rabbi and the members of the synagogue who were taking charge of this, handed out pieces of paper showing us what door to exit, God forbid there was something, and telling parents, all parents but especially Jewish parents, don't go for your children. Your children will be brought to safety. There's a lot of good that's going to do, but go out, how to go out, where to rendezvous. I have that piece of paper sitting on my desk. It's a reminder that it's come to me in Atlanta, just as it's been coming to so many places in the rest of the world: Paris, Berlin, Holle, Belgium, too many places to name."

Senator Portman: "Pittsburgh Tree of Life."

Dr. Lipstadt: "Absolutely, where the Rabbi got training before. And of course, the people at Colleyville talked about the training and how it saves their lives."

Senator Portman: "…and can save lives. Well, as you say this terrorist, and my time has expired but just one sentence on that because this Committee gets involved in these issues, he came here on a visa from a country where we have a relationship. Where it's easy to have access to the United States through visa programs and yet the reports are that he had told the UK police and others that he wanted to -- well the reports are -- that he had said that he wanted to kill Jews and that this was reported to the UK police last year, these anti-Semitic threats. And yet, the Visa Waiver program was available to him. So we've got to tighten up the Visa Waiver program from countries, even our great allies like the UK, to be sure we're not allowing these terrorists in when we have information. Thank you."

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