Rep. Chris Smith today welcomed the nomination of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism – a position created by legislative provisions Smith authored in 2004 (P.L. 108-332) and then elevated to ambassadorial-level position by the law Smith authored in 2020 (P.L. 116-326).

“Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun sees the threat of antisemitism for what it is – a mortal threat to Jews in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world, particularly in its manifestation of Middle-Eastern terrorism and its connections to terrorist sympathizers in the United States, including on many U.S. campuses. With his close and respected relationship with the President, I believe Rabbi Kaploun will be an extraordinarily effective leader in the fight against this ancient and deadly form of hatred.”

Smith (R-NJ) serves as co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, and has written many laws and resolutions that combat antisemitism, and has led the same fight within interparliamentary organizations of legislators, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The legislative provisions that Smith authored in 2004 established not only the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, but also established the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the State Department. Smith’s 2020 law (P.L. 116-326) built on the experience of the previous 16 years to enhance and strengthen the Office which his 2004 provisions established.

Rabbi Kaploun is a Florida businessman active in Jewish community life and charity work, who became involved in public life in recent years, including President Trump’s campaign, in response to the growing threats of antisemitism. In a 2024 interview with Mishpacha magazine he said: “Our situation is similar to that of Jews in 1930s Germany, on the eve of Kristallnacht. They, too, lived in peace and quiet until the ground shook under their feet. And in the United States, the ground is already shaking.” On naming Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy, President Trump stated: “With antisemitism dangerously on the rise, Yehuda will be the strongest representative for Americans and Jews across the globe and promote peace.”

Smith said, “I wish Rabbi Kaploun every success in the all-important work of countering a global increase of threats and acts of violence against Jews, and I look forward to working with him.”

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