On Friday, October 9, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed H. Res. 354 on combating Anti-Semitism in Europe.  The resolution was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and co-sponsored by the other members of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism:  Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Kay Granger (R-TX), Steve Israel (D-NY), and Peter Roskam (R-IL).  LDB is excited that the Committee and the Taskforce have taken the time to address this important issue, and we are hopeful that this resolution will have a positive impact on the security of the Jewish people.

The resolution is a response to the recent increase in anti-Semitism in Europe, including the deadly attacks in Paris and Copenhagen earlier this year.  Statistics cited in the resolution show that anti-Semitic acts have increased in several European countries in recent years, part of an alarming worldwide trend that has also affected the American college campus, as we have seen in the 2014 National Demographic Survey of American Jewish College Students conducted by LDB and Trinity College.  The resolution calls for the United States and Europe to work together to address this rising threat.  Methods of cooperation endorsed by the resolution include sharing best practices information, conducting research, and developing security partnerships with Jewish community organizations.