WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League sent a petition to the U.S. State Department calling on President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to fill the position of special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism as quickly as possible.
As of Tuesday, when the petition was presented, the ADL had collected 4,830 signatures.
The envoy position, mandated by the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2004, has been vacant since the start of the Trump administration.
In the petition, the ADL highlights that in addition to working with the State Department, the envoy is pivotal in “diminishing anti-Jewish hatred overseas.”
“We know firsthand that this role is critical to fighting anti-Semitism and it is vital that the United States continue to manifest its leadership in fighting hate around the world,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO said.
“And we are not alone. Thousands of Americans have signed our petition urging the State Department to act quickly to fill this essential diplomatic post. There’s simply no reason to postpone this decision for even one more day.”
In June, Tillerson testified before Congress that the administration had yet to make a decision about whether the position would be filled.
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