WASHINGTON – As the United States continues to defuse the Iran-Israel conflict and prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities, the World Jewish Congress American Section, led by its new chair, J. Philip Rosen, concluded a multiday mission to the nation’s capital, convening meetings between prominent Jewish leaders from North America and top U.S. officials.
The WJC delegation advanced a set of priorities to U.S. agencies and lawmakers, including countering Iranian proxy threats across the Western Hemisphere, particularly Hezbollah’s operations along the shared border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and urging European leaders to strengthen protections for Jewish communities across the European Union.
The mission, which reflected the WJC’s ongoing efforts to mobilize Jewish leadership across borders, strengthen international partnerships and confront rising hate with coordinated global advocacy, culminated in a reception co-hosted by the WJC, the Spanish Embassy, and Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, dedicated to the history and legacy of Jewish life in Spain. The reception also marked the 10th anniversary of Spain’s law offering citizenship to the descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled in 1492.
At the event, Rosen issued a direct warning to Spanish officials about the risks of allowing contemporary antisemitism and anti-Israel bias to fester, drawing a powerful parallel to the consequences of intolerance in the past. “Ten years ago, Spain chose moral clarity,” Rosen said. “In moments like this one, that clarity is needed again, because those of us who carry the memory of exile know what follows when ties begin to fray.”
The WJC delegation included David Koschitzky, chair of WJC North America and head of WJC’s Policy Council, and Elan Pratzer, WJC vice president and national chair of the Board of Directors at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) of Canada, as well as representatives of Comité Central de la Comunidad Judía de México (CCCJM), the Mexican affiliate of the World Jewish Congress.
The delegation held meetings with senior officials from the U.S. State Department. WJC representatives also met with staff from the White House, including Martin Marks of the Office of the Jewish Liaison, as well as with officials from the National Security Council. On Capitol Hill, the group met with lawmakers, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
The WJC delegation specifically urged the United States to:
- Confront Iranian proxy threats in the Western Hemisphere, particularly Hezbollah’s operations along the shared border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, known as the Tri-Border region of Latin America. The delegation emphasized the urgency of bilateral security coordination to both protect Jewish communities in countries such as Argentina and Brazil and ensure regional stability in the face of Iranian influence.
- Urge European leaders to boost protections for Jewish communities across the European Union, where antisemitism is escalating from far-right, far-left and Islamist actors. This includes intensifying diplomatic pressure on European allies that have failed to adequately respond to antisemitic threats; offering technical and security assistance to bolster protection of Jewish communal spaces; and championing the rights of Jewish students and other minorities facing institutional hostility on university campuses.
- Institutionalize and strengthen the U.S. response to global antisemitism, including securing staffing and funding for the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS), which has been under-resourced for two decades; supporting expanded Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding to protect Jewish schools, synagogues and cultural institutions; and passing the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act to support U.S. citizens harmed in overseas terror attacks.
- Affirm the urgency of U.S. leadership in international forums, by opposing entrenched anti-Israel bias within multilateral institutions and advocating for meaningful reform at the United Nations and related bodies, and urging the Trump administration to remain in UNESCO, the only UN agency with a dedicated mandate for Holocaust education and combating antisemitism. The current 180-day review period is expected to expire in August 2025.
- View antisemitism as an international threat and encourage U.S. allies to apply the same framing. The WJC group urged lawmakers to promote legislation or resolutions that recognize global antisemitism as a national security concern; encourage U.S. allies to appoint national coordinators on antisemitism; and echo the House of Representatives’ 2024 endorsement of the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, while pursuing a companion measure in the Senate.
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