AJC Welcomes White House National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today welcomes the White House's release of the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate. The publication fulfills the commitment the Administration made in December 2022, when it launched the process to better coordinate efforts to counter different forms of hate, which also led to the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released in May 2023.

At a time when anti-Jewish hate crimes are at a record high and Jews around the world are on guard against harassment and abuse, American Jews know all too well that we must fight against all forms of discrimination. Antisemitism and Islamophobia must be understood on their own terms, and all Americans carry the responsibility to confront each expression of hatred.

Hate and bigotry do not exist in a vacuum. As the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism stated, "While antisemitism most directly and intensely affects the American Jewish community, antisemitism also threatens the democracy, values, safety, and rights of all Americans. The hatred of Jews shares much in common with other forms of hate, such as racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny."

Appropriately and laudably, the recently released U.S. Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate references the Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. Just as the antisemitism strategy outlined action items that protect all minorities, we welcome the recommendations in this latest strategy as best practices to ensure Muslim and Arab Americans are protected as part of the social fabric of our society.

In recent years, AJC has made the transformation of Muslim-Jewish relations a priority and continues that vital work and its dedication to its partnership with American Muslims, even as challenges remain. In 2016, AJC collaborated with American Muslim and American Jewish community partners to create the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC). The body has worked on domestic issues of mutual concern including federal hate crimes legislation, hearings on the threats of white supremacy, and workshops on preventing targeted violence and protecting places of worship. These achievements demonstrate that Muslim-Jewish cooperation benefits both communities and American society more broadly.

AJC played a leading role in the development and implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and participated in several efforts to address other forms of hatred, including Islamophobia. AJC worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to educate about antisemitism and Islamophobia in rural communities, advised the Artists for Understanding initiative of the U.S. Presidential Commission on the Arts and Humanities, joined the United Against Hate Summit, and advised the U.S. Department of Education on its responses to antisemitism and Islamophobia in educational institutions.

AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC's mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org

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