Official tasked with combatting antisemitism says forgiving Hamas-supporting Islamic organization and including them in fight against Jew hatred is a Jewish value.
By World Israel News Staff
After announcing a new plan to battle antisemitism, the Biden administration official tasked with combating Jew-hatred expressed a willingness to work with an antisemitic Islamic group, arguing that the organization deserves a “chance” to improve.
United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt admitted in an interview with The Jerusalem Post that her inclusion of the Muslim group CAIR has raised eyebrows among Jewish advocacy organizations.
CAIR’s senior leaders and staff have repeatedly made incendiary comments against the State of Israel. According to the ADL, CAIR officials have maintained ties with organizations affiliated with the Hamas terror group.
One of the founders of CAIR, Ghassan Elashi, was sentenced to federal prison for his participation in setting up a fraudulent charity that funneled millions of dollars to Hamas.
“I’m not naive,” Lipstadt told the Post. “I know CAIR is problematic, [but] there are other groups and individuals that have problematic histories that are now talking about antisemitism.”
Lipstadt suggested that “one can also step back and say, Okay, we’re going to judge you by what you say going forward. We’re going to evaluate what you do henceforth.”
She told the Post that she was not expecting CAIR to apologize for promoting violent rhetoric against Israel.
“I’m not talking about apologies,” she said. Rather, she would ask CAIR, “Do you acknowledge that you might have, or might not have, engaged in statements or declarations that were easily and rightfully considered to be antisemitic?”
Lipstadt then suggested that forgiving the group for its history of terror support and antisemitism was a fundamental Jewish value.
“If I put on my Jewish hat, you and I both come from a tradition that believes in forgiveness. Our holiest days of the year are about change. So if they’re really willing to change,, if they’re really willing to say, ‘hey, we now see this is a serious problem,’ then they are welcome.”