We welcome Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s long-awaited decision to fill the position of US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.

J Street has called on the Trump administration to fill this congressionally-mandated position repeatedly over the past two years — a call made all the more pressing by the recent surge of anti-Semitism in the US and Europe.

In this position, the newly appointed envoy, Elan Carr, will be charged with defending the safety and dignity of all Jews, regardless of their political views and regardless of the motivation for attacks against them.

Amidst a climate in which some seek to conflate legitimate criticism of Israel’s actions and policies with anti-Semitism, we believe it is critical to reject that formulation, which risks sowing division within the Jewish community around an issue that should unite it and undercutting the fight against anti-Semitism.

We would welcome an opportunity to discuss our views with Mr. Carr on fighting anti-Semitism worldwide and on how the full breadth of our community can be brought to bear on that effort.