At a U.S. Senate hearing in November, FBI Director Chris Wray and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas expressed support for a national strategy to combat antisemitism.
On December 5, 125 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, sent a letter to President Biden calling for a whole-of-government interagency task force to confront antisemitism, led by an assistant secretary.
[5] Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was pleased that the Biden administration initiative specifically addresses antisemitism from online sources and on college campuses – and that it recognizes threats from both the far left and far right.
[6] More than thirty Jewish organizations, including AIPAC, B'nai B'rith International, and the JCC Association of North America, voiced their support of the Biden administration's plan as they remarked in a joint statement: “In an era of rising antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world, we appreciate the clarity and urgency demonstrated by the White House in releasing its National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.”[7] Criticism of the plan included “muddying the water”[8] of a single standard to define antisemitism by not only forcefully embracing the IHRA working definition of antisemitism (widely accepted by more than 40 countries),[9] but also “welcome[ing] and appreciate[ing] the Nexus Document and note[ing] other such efforts.”[10] Chief operating officer of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, Mark Weitzman, referred to the ambiguity of definitions as,“divert[ing] attention away from finding the problem and into debating definitions.”[9] Criticism of the Nexus Document includes the claim that it allows individuals to conceal antisemitism through anti-Zionist tropes without facing any consequences.
[15] One other point of criticism aimed at the Biden administration's handling of antisemitism comes from a recent “dear colleague” letter published by U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E.