Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr at a panel discussion on antisemitism in New York City on Sept. 10, 2019. Photo: Rhonda Hodas Hack.

JNS.org – US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr said on Thursday that suspects, even those not charged with a crime, should undergo tolerance training to push against any bigoted beliefs they might hold.

“We should never ever let a defendant or even a suspect who isn’t charged with a crime—we should never let that suspect or defendant go unless they are forced to undergo a tolerance program,” he told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations summit in Jerusalem.

“When you catch a suspect that is being radicalized, we as the law-enforcement community have a priceless opportunity to intervene in that young man’s life,” he continued. “Why would we pass that up? It doesn’t have to be a felon.”

Carr mentioned that he called for this course of action when he was a prosecutor.

“Every single probationary grant should require a young man who has committed a crime related to hate or who shows signs of hate, even if the crime has nothing to do with hate, to undergo a tolerance program,” he said.

He provided an example. “If a skinhead shoplifts a beer, it’s not a hate crime,” he said. “Why would you let that kid go?”

Carr called for fighting antisemitism in all its forms, both domestically and abroad.

Additionally, Carr said that despite antisemitic attacks in the United States, America is still very friendly toward Jews.

Finally, he commended the Trump administration’s executive order in December to combat antisemitism on college and university campuses.