President Joe Biden has nominated Emory historian Deborah E. Lipstadt as special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad. Lipstadt will hold the rank of ambassador if confirmed to the position by the U.S. Senate. She has previously served on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Religious Persecution Abroad. Lipstadt is Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies and associated faculty in the History Department.
Read an excerpt from The Hill’s coverage of Lipstadt’s nomination below, along with the full article: “Biden nominates Holocaust historian as special envoy to combat antisemitism.” Also read other coverage of her nomination in the following stories:
- The official announcement from the White House
- A statement from Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves.
- “White House announces new religious affairs leaders, first Muslim religious freedom ambassador,” Religion News Service, July 30, 2021.
- Political Insider Blog, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 2, 2021.
- “Biden will name American historian as ambassador to combat antisemitism,” The Miami Herald, July 30, 2021.
- “Biden named historian Deborah Lipstadt as Envoy to Combat Antisemitism,” The Jerusalem Post, July 31, 2021.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and United Nations Gilad Erdan welcomed Lipstadt’s nomination on Friday.
“As an accomplished author and historian, Dr. Lipstadt has dedicated her life to fighting antisemitism and preserving the memory of the Holocaust,” Erdan said in a statement. “Antisemitism is the oldest and most widespread form of hatred and the recent wave of antisemitic attacks against Jews around the world and in the U.S. serves as a reminder that no place is safe from antisemitic hatred.”