Rosen Chairs Inaugural Meeting of Relaunched International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians

WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism and Chair of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians (ICJP), chaired the first consultation of the recently relaunched ICJP. During the event, which brought together dozens of Jewish legislators and government officials from around the world, Senator Rosen shared her legislative approach to combating anti-Semitism. She and the other participating parliamentarians also lent their support to the innocent civilians in Israel who are currently taking shelter from the relentless assault of Hamas rockets.

“No issue threatens the Jewish community more than the alarming rise of anti-Semitism and violent extremism. This is true in the United States, and it’s true in Israel, Europe, Latin America, and countries all around the world,” said Senator Rosen. “By promoting dialogue and collaboration between Jewish parliamentarians from different nations, the ICJP helps advance policies that support human rights and democracy. It was an honor to speak to them today about the critically important work we must continue to do to combat anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and racism through educating and legislating. I am grateful to Ambassador Ronald Lauder’s leadership as President of the World Jewish Congress, and for working to reconvene the Council at this critical moment for Jews around the world.” 

“As the Jewish world unites in solidarity with Israel as it defends itself from terrorism, the relaunching of this critical global body, the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, could not be more timely,” said Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress. “We live in an era of conspiracy myths, rising antisemitism and xenophobia, and a disturbing recurrence of Holocaust denial online and offline, and the ICJP has a powerful role to play in countering these troubling, dangerous phenomena. Under the leadership of Senator Jacky Rosen, a tremendous advocate in the fight against antisemitism and a leading legislator in efforts to combat the world’s oldest hatred, the ICJP creates a space for Jewish parliamentarians to come together, share experiences, discuss priorities, and unite in a common fight for human rights and democracy. I am looking forward to partnering with Sen. Rosen and parliamentarians from across the globe in advancing our shared values through this significant and influential forum.”

BACKGROUND: The International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians is the global network of Jewish legislators, government ministers, and other elected officials. The forum aims to promote dialogue and collaboration between Jewish parliamentarians; to support the principles of democracy, the cause of human rights, and the rule of law; and to combat racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, terrorism, and Holocaust denial by those means available to legislators and government ministers.

Senator Rosen’s chairwomanship succeeds former Congressman Eliot Engel, the previous chair of the ICJP.

Earlier this year, the Rosen-backed Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2019 was signed into law. Rosen helped introduce this bipartisan and bicameral legislation to enhance the State Department’s role in combating global anti-Semitism by elevating the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to the rank of ambassador and making it a Senate-confirmed position.

In 2019, Senator Rosen introduced the Never Again Education Act, bipartisan legislation later signed into law in 2020 that established a dedicated federal fund to provide teachers with resources and training necessary to teach students the important lessons of the Holocaust.

In October 2019, Senator Rosen, along with Senator James Lankford (R-OK), launched the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the United States Senate.

Senator Rosen holds the distinction of being the third female Jewish Senator in U.S. history, as well as the first former synagogue president to serve in the United States Senate. As such, Senator Rosen has been an outspoken advocate of combating anti-Semitism in the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and around the world.

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