US President Joe Biden speaks about lowering costs for American families during his visit to Irvine Valley Community College, in Irvine, California, US, October 14, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The White House on Monday announced the creation of an inter-agency group tasked with developing a national strategy to combat antisemitism.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the group would be led by staff from the Domestic Policy Council and National Security Council and would coordinate efforts to combat antisemitism across the US government. 

“This strategy will raise understanding about antisemitism and the threat it poses to the Jewish community and all Americans, address antisemitic harassment and abuse both online and offline, seek to prevent antisemitic attacks and incidents, and encourage whole-of-society efforts to counter antisemitism and build a more inclusive nation,” Jean-Pierre said.

Members of Congress and leaders of national Jewish groups, many of whom had been calling for the creation of a such a task force, welcomed the move.

“With Jewish communities here in the US and worldwide experiencing an epidemic of anti-Jewish bigotry and violence, a whole-of-government approach is needed to counter the scourge of antisemitism,” said Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who co-authored a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Biden administration on Dec. 6 urging the creation of an interagency taskforce and unified national strategy to combat antisemitism. “The steps announced today will go a long way toward improving the United States’ ability to combat antisemitism, helping to keep communities safe and eradicate hate.”

The American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Jewish Federations of North America, and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations were among the Jewish groups that said they supported the decision.