Former Envoy Calls Trump’s Plan To Nix Anti-Semitism Post A ‘Disaster’

Donald Trump at the RJC. Image by Getty Images

By Nathan Guttman February 28, 2017

News that President Trump plans to eliminate the office of the special envoy to counter anti-Semitism as part of his planned budget cuts was met with some serious pushback from Jewish leaders — and from the last person to hold the position.

“I can’t believe someone at the White House won’t have better sense… This is a disaster,” Ira Forman, the former special envoy told Jewish Insider. “I just can’t believe that they would even think of this given the relatively small budget needed to run this office.”

Forman noted that the office of the special envoy to monitor and counter anti-Semitism exists by congressional legislation.

“This is as bipartisan as an issue as you can get, and I just hope folks at the White House come to their sense,” Forman said.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt took a harsher tone, stating on Twitter: “Budgets reflect values. Amid rising #antisemitism, what value is reflected by eliminating Special Envoy for A/S?”

Greenblatt’s predecessor Abraham Foxman was quoted in Jewish Insider as calling the move “a sad message to send.” Foxman added that “the special ambassador to combat anti-Semitism at the State Department is one of those things that ‘make America great.’”

And New York Democrat Jerry Nadler took a sarcastic approach to the news of Trump’s plan to eliminate the office, tweeting: “Trump reportedly considering nixing anti-Semitism envoy as part of budget plan. Well, he’s sure consistent.”

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected]

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO