Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism

Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism

“I am deeply concerned about the rise in hate crimes and political violence that we have seen over the past decade. And this trend has included a marked increase in reported instances of anti-Semitic hate crimes. We can all agree this trend is intolerable. We must have zero tolerance for violence that is motivated by hatred for our fellow citizens whether based on race, sex, or creed.”

"In a pluralistic society like ours, I think the ability to resist hate comes from cultivating a civil society that, on the one hand, nurtures the freedom of each group to pursue their faith and distinctive way of life, while, at the same time, fostering the ties that bind us together into a genuine broader community."

Attorney General William P. Barr

On July 15, 2019, the Department of Justice hosted a Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism with opening remarks by Attorney General Barr. The Summit featured a panel on Prosecuting Hate Crimes with Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Calvin Shivers, and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu, and closed with remarks from FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Though we talk sometimes about hate crime and domestic terrorism as separate challenges, the reality is they’re not mutually exclusive, and we’re taking a whole F.B.I approach to those threats.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray

The Summit also included panels on “Combating Anti-Semitism While Respecting the First Amendment" and “Anti-Semitism on Campus” as well as remarks from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Elan S. Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Click here to read the transcript of Attorney General Barr’s full speech.

Click here to read the transcript of Deputy Attorney General Rosen’s full speech.

Click here to see video of FBI Director Wray’s comments on hate crimes from the summit. (1:24:25)