{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415185", "Calls on U.S. Senate to confirm Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat AntisemitismSmith condemns antisemitic terror attack targeting Jewish community during Hanukkah in Australia", "2025-12-14", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "The author of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2021\u2014 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)\u2014condemned the horrific, antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The attackers opened fire on a peaceful Hanukkah celebration, killing at least 15 innocent people\u2014including children and the elderly\u2014and injuring dozens more.\n\n\u201cMy heart breaks for the victims, their families, and the entire Australian Jewish community enduring this unimaginable tragedy, and my wife, Marie, and I pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. The savagery and cruelty of this attack on Jewish families echoes the worst antisemitic violence we\u2019ve seen since the October 7th Hamas atrocity. It is a stark reminder of the truly dark nature of the spiritual cancer of antisemitism that metastasizes around the world,\u201d said Smith, who, in 2004, wrote the amendment that created the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, now known as the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.\n\n\u201cI commend the extraordinary courage of the bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen\u2014he saved many lives.\u201d\n\nSmith, a longtime advocate for combating antisemitism through legislation and congressional hearings, called for immediate international action to root out this hatred.\n\nPursuant to Smith\u2019s law, last April, President Trump nominated Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the Special Envoy with the rank of Ambassador to \u201cserve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the United States Government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries\u2026\u201d\n\nSmith said, \u201cNearly nine months later, the U.S. Senate may finally confirm Yehuda Kaploun.\u201d\n\nIn April, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: \u201cI am proud to nominate Yehuda Kaploun as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador-at-Large.\n\n\u201cYehuda is a successful businessman, and staunch advocate for the Jewish Faith and the Rights of his people to live and worship free from persecution. With Anti-Semitism dangerously on the rise, Yehuda will be the strongest Representative for Americans and Jews across the Globe, and promote PEACE\u2026\u201d\n\nSmith stated: \u201cAntisemitism in all its forms\u2014whether fueled by extremist ideologies, biased institutions, like the United Nations, or unchecked rhetoric\u2014must be confronted and defeated wherever it rears its ugly head. The United States must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies, including and especially Israel, to ensure Jewish communities can practice their faith openly and without fear. I urge leaders worldwide to redouble efforts to counter this rising tide of hate, including through enhanced security measures and accountability for those who incite or perpetrate such crimes.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415185"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7734233513474464, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}