AJC Welcomes New Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism

Today, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor And Combat Antisemitism, announced new Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism. This pledge, signed by representatives of more than 30 countries and international organizations, includes many of the action items for governments listed in American Jewish Committee's (AJC) Global Call to Action Against Antisemitism, unveiled last month at AJC Global Forum 2024.

The Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism and the broad support from envoys and international organizations are a testament to the leadership of Amb. Lipstadt and her work with world partners, notably Katharina Von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. This is a vital step in global efforts to eradicate Jew-hatred from every corner of the world. Among the signatories is Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Antisemitism. Rabbi Baker also serves as AJC's Director of International Jewish Affairs.

"Jewish communities in some of Europe's most stable democracies - including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden - continue to report unprecedented levels of antisemitism. This same hate is spreading across American society, said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. "We thank Amb. Lipstadt for her leadership and clear vision, recognizing that the response to this crisis must be global and it must cover all parts of society. We are at an inflection point and our actions will have far-reaching impacts on the global Jewish community for decades to come."

AJC's Global Call to Action Against Antisemitism, signed by 47 organizations representing 35 countries and three multi-country umbrella organizations, acknowledges that this moment requires an international, whole-of-society approach. This coalition of global Jewish leaders and partners will work to mobilize and empower their governments and communities to take bold action against surging anti-Jewish hate.

These international efforts come at a time of surging antisemitism around the globe. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reported last week that an astounding 76% of European Jews have avoided wearing anything outside of their homes or synagogues that would enable passers-by to know they are Jewish - up from 30% in 2013 when the first FRA survey was released. Recent surveys from AJC found that 92% of French Jews and 76% of the French general population believe that antisemitism is widespread and 87% of American Jews believe that antisemitism has increased since October 7.

Today's announcement, made from Argentina, comes as AJC joins leaders from around the world to mark 30 years since the terrorist attack on the AMIA Jewish Center, which killed 85 people and injured 300 others when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck into the six-story building in Buenos Aires. Before October 7, it was the deadliest antisemitic attack outside Israel since the Holocaust. The 1994 bombing was carried out by Hezbollah terrorists linked to the Iranian regime.

AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 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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