Jewish NGO seeks to enlist US mayors in the fight against antisemitism

The Combat Antisemitism Movement is focusing on enlisting US municipal and local leaders to combat rising antisemitism, the organization said, culminating with a North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Beverly Hills in December.

“CAM’s plan of action is to work hand in hand with mayors throughout North America on a daily basis, fostering exchanges of municipal best practices, comprehensive strategies, and impactful actions to secure and nurture Jewish life in cities across the continent,” the NGO said in a Thursday press release.

“As mayors are the closest to their communities, they stand at the forefront of combating antisemitism, bearing the responsibility to foster, develop, and invest additional efforts in creating the necessary infrastructure to prevent the spread of hatred against Jews in their cities.”

The summit would seek to bring local American leaders from across the political spectrum to inform them how to identify and combat the ideology that the movement said has risen across all political orientations. CAM previously held summits for mayors in Athens and Fort Lauderdale, and had hosted leaders from New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami, Cleveland, Richmond, Providence, and Little Rock.

Organization works to equip cities with tools combatting antisemitism 

“Now more than ever, we are committed to ensuring that every city in North America is equipped with the resources to safeguard Jewish communities,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman. "As one of the smaller minorities, Jews endure a disproportionate amount of religious hate crimes. It is imperative for cities to understand how to eradicate extremism from their streets and create a safe environment for all citizens, which is the purpose of this summit."

Beverly Hills Mayor Lester J. Friedman said the city was looking forward to hosting the summit and to working with his counterparts from other cities.