JERUSALEM, Israel – Vice President Kamala Harris condemned anti-Semitic hatred of Israel during her address at the opening day of the Anti-Defamation League’s three-day summit on anti-Semitism.
The vice president warned that anti-Semitism “is not a relic of the past” and said the Jewish community has faced “an alarming rise in hate crime.”
“Last year, more hate crimes were reported in our nation than in the past 20 years. And as we know, these crimes are not confined to the United States,” she said.
Harris also stressed that the targeting of Jews “because of their beliefs or their identity” or the singling out of Israel “because of anti-Jewish hatred” was “unacceptable.”
The vice president said the Biden administration is “fully committed to fighting anti-Semitism,” citing the nomination of a Holocaust historian, Deborah Lipstadt, as State Department special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. She also touted Congress’ passing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May, which make “it easier to record and to prosecute unlawful acts of hate.”
Harris’ comments came weeks after facing criticism for not immediately and forcefully condemning a university student who accused Israel of committing ethnic genocide. She later denounced the student’s claim and reiterated her support for Israel among congressional leaders.
The ADL’s conference is being held virtually this year due to the pandemic. Other speakers at the conference include Yair Lapid, Israel’s Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird.
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