Senate Includes Anti-Semitism
Focus in State Department Authorization
July 11, 2003
– NCSJ welcomed Senate inclusion of an amendment to require
the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom to include
a section on anti-Semitism. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio)
sponsored the measure as Amendment 1186 to S. 925, the bill authorizing
appropriations for the Department of State and other international
programs in fiscal year 2004, and it was accepted Thursday without
objection. The Senate is likely to vote on the full authorization
package within the next week.
“Given
the successful efforts to move anti-Semitism onto the European agenda,
especially through last month’s Vienna conference by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, such a focus in our own
reporting sets a further example for other nations,” said
Dr. Robert J. Meth, Chairman of NCSJ. “It is fitting that
Senator Voinovich should be behind this amendment, given his early
and consistent leadership in pushing for active American engagement
through the OSCE.” Dr. Meth and NCSJ Executive Director Mark
B. Levin joined other Americans and Jewish leaders for the OSCE
Conference on Anti-Semitism, which took place June 19-20 in Vienna
(Vienna information is available online at http://ncsj.org/Vienna2003.shtml).
The Voinovich
Amendment would strengthen the focus of State Department reporting
under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, which established
the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom as well as
the Office of International Religious Freedom, the Ambassador-at-Large
for International Religious Freedom, and the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom. The annual report provides country-by-country
information on the status of religious freedom and government practices,
are available online at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/.
According to
Dr. Joel M. Schindler, President of NCSJ, “The past few decades
have witnessed the rise of a dedicated generation of American diplomats,
who are committed to advancing human rights, democracy, and religious
freedom around the world. This new provision will further empower
them to sensitize foreign governments on the issue of anti-Semitism,
and to recognize those nations that are taking serious steps rather
than ignoring the persistence of this ancient bigotry.”
Mark B. Levin,
Executive Director of NCSJ, added, “Vienna was a groundbreaking
event, which truly started a new process within Europe that will
hopefully provide a model for the rest of the world as well. Until
the OSCE and other international institutions are ready to assume
this type of reporting, however, it is vital that the United States
help set the tone. As with other State Department reports, this
enhancement will provide a credible and consistent standard for
measuring anti-Semitic violence, societal attitudes, and governmental
response.”
NCSJ: Advocates
on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia
– a voluntary, non-profit agency created in 1971 – is
the mandated central coordinating agency of the organized American
Jewish community for policy and activities on behalf of the estimated
1.5 million Jews in the former Soviet Union. NCSJ comprises nearly
50 national organizations and over 300 local federations, community
councils and committees across the United States. Through this extensive
network, NCSJ mobilizes the resources, energies and talents of millions
of U.S. citizens, and also represents the American Jewish community
in dealings with similar national groups abroad, and at international
fora.
Source:
NCSJ
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