Nearly 400 Jewish leaders representing more than 100 Jewish communities across the nation gathered in Washington, DC on Wednesday for the United for Security Emergency Leadership Mission to advocate for policies that enhance security for the Jewish community.

Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations came together with 50 national organizations to lead the mission, in which advocates held over 200 meetings on Capitol hill and reiterated a consistent message: Jewish security cannot wait.

“We are here to speak with one voice. We know there are many things on the nation's agenda, but we must insist that the safety and security of the Jewish community and the battle against domestic terror be at the very top,” Jewish Federations CEO & President Eric D. Fingerhut told the crowd before heading to lobby members of Congress. “Whatever other issues the Jewish community may care about, whatever differing opinions we may hold on some of those issues, we are united for security.”

Like the threat Iran poses in the Middle East and around the world, domestic terror in the United States is on the rise with Jewish Americans as the target. Our communities are under violent attack. The broad representation from across the country and across the organizational spectrum of the mission reflects the universal nature of this crisis and the urgent need for the government to take strong and aggressive action to stop the antisemitic murders, attacks, violence, and harassment.

In meetings with Congress on Wednesday and planned meetings on Thursday, leaders advanced a six-point security policy plan to secure the Jewish community:
 

• Increasing the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $1 billion annually
• Providing federal support for security personnel costs that Jewish communities are forced to bear
• Expanding FBI resources to fight the domestic and global war on terror
• Providing federal assistance to local law enforcement to protect Jewish institutions
• Regulating social media hate speech and incitement of violence
• Enforcing and prosecuting existing hate crime legislation

 
“Our message is simple and united: Support for Israel is not negotiable, Jewish safety in America is not optional, and the silence in the face of anti semitic incitement–whether it comes from Iran's Ayatollahs or American campuses–is unacceptable,” said William Daroff, President and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “Support for Israel's security is not a partisan issue. It is a moral imperative, a strategic interest and a Jewish responsibility.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter delivered a strong message to the group, as the United States prepares to meet with Iran: “The basis of any agreement pursued with Iran has to be: there is no more attempt to annihilate the Jewish state, the Jewish people.”

 

He added: "The Middle East has the potential to change, and we're going to continue to move towards an Abraham Accords  2.0. There's no reason why we can't have a Middle East, which is calm, quiet, cooperative, normalized and peaceful."

Following the over 200 meetings with Congress, over 20 members attended a reception on Capitol Hill to express their support for boosting Jewish security.

On Thursday, the group heard from administration officials including President Trump’s nominee to be U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism Rabbi Yehudah Kaploun, as well as Samuel Ramer, General Counsel for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

They also heard a stirring call to action from Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law Omri Riman has been held hostage in Gaza for 628 days, calling for action to ensure that every one of the remaining 50 hostages returns home.

For photos, click here. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jewish Federations of North America/Stephen Jaffe