Trump supporter Yehuda Kaploun appointed US envoy for combating antisemitism

Kaploun said his appointment to the post was "a game changer.” 

"The president is sending a very strong message … I get off a plane, I am the president's representative and I am walking off with a yarmulke, and I have kosher food, and embassies will have kosher food. It is a game-changer.”

Welcoming the rabbi’s appointment, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said: “The horrific attack on Chanukah celebrations at Bondi Beach once again underscores the global surge of antisemitism and the urgent need for coordinated international action.

“ADL’s Global 100 survey shows 46 per cent of adults globally – an estimated 2.2 billion people – hold elevated levels of antisemitic sentiments. That’s more than double [the] nearly 1.1 billion people 10 years ago. We stand ready to support Ambassador Kaploun in this important work.”

Israeli officials also welcomed Kaploun, who was born in the Jewish state and raised in Connecticut, to the position.

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “We appreciate the Trump administration’s strong commitment to combat antisemitism. With the alarming rise of this ancient disease around the world, this joint fight is more important now than ever.”

The country’s diaspora affairs minister, Amichai Chikli, congratulated Kaploun too, describing him as a “friend”.

“At a time when antisemitism is souring around the world, Rabbi Kaploun is the right person to serve in this critical role. Through his creativity, innovation, and strong moral compass, I look forward to working closely with him in the near future,” Chikli said.

World Jewish Congress president, Ronald Lauder, said: “President Trump made a strong choice in nominating Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as US State Department special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. I am deeply grateful to the president for ensuring this critical position is filled by a dedicated fighter against anti-Jewish hatred.”

President Trump congratulated Kaploun – who served as liaison to the Jewish community for the president’s 2024 campaign – in a post on Truth Social.

He wrote: “Yehuda 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. Congratulations Yehuda!”

When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance his nomination, Kaploun said he would prioritise education, particularly about the Holocaust, as a central tool in combating antisemitism.

Before the vote, Democrats pressed Kaploun on the administration’s approach to right-wing antisemitism, questioning him about Trump’s failure to denounce extremist influencer Nick Fuentes.

Kaploun stressed the importance of free speech while asserting that the administration “is clear in condemning antisemitism”.

“Antisemitism is anti-American. Racism is anti-American,” he said. “Myself, the president, the secretary of state, and the entire administration are going to work tirelessly to make sure religious liberty, justice, and restoring respect for humanity for everybody is the goal.”

He has also said he wants to "shift the conversation to pro-semitism” through education. 

Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Washington Conference on Capitol Hill on December 10, he said: "We need to be pro-semitic, and we need to educate, educate, educate”.
He added: “Two nights ago, I was accosted in a hotel lobby by people screaming ‘baby killer’ and ‘free Gaza.’ Antisemitism is alive and well.”

Kaploun said that his goal within the administration was to “lower the [antisemitic] rhetoric around the globe immediately.”