The Heritage Foundation announced on Monday that Elan Carr, former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, will become a visiting fellow to help advise policymakers and research experts on threats posed by anti-Semitism internationally, and counsel analysts on proposals to address the rising tide of incidents around the world, including in the United States.
Appointed special envoy by former President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019, Carr served as America’s senior diplomatic representative and senior adviser to Pompeo on the subject of anti-Semitism, as well as directed U.S. policy and programs aimed at combating it.
During his two years in office, Carr negotiated agreements with foreign governments; convened the first-ever U.S. government-sponsored conference on combating online hate; and drove the establishment of new policies on anti-Zionism, anti-Israel discrimination and anti-Semitism on campus.
He also significantly broadened the global consensus on the definition of anti-Semitism, and conducted an aggressive and global public diplomacy campaign, delivering more than 180 speeches throughout the world and conducting numerous press interviews.
Prior to joining the Trump administration, Carr prosecuted violent felony crimes for more than a decade as a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County. He is also an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and has received multiple awards for his two decades of military service. In 2003-04, he spent nearly a year deployed in Iraq.
“It is a sad but unmistakable reality that the forces of anti-Semitism are on the rise around the globe, including here within our own country,” said James Carafano, vice president of Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and E.W. Richardson fellow. “I can think of no one better equipped to shine a light on this threat and present solutions to combat it than Elan Carr. He has fought the forces of anti-Semitism from the places of highest influence—and emerged victorious time and time again. I know Heritage will benefit immensely from his experiences and perspectives, as will policymakers in Washington, and without a doubt, the American people as a whole.”
As a visiting fellow, Carr will handle a host of responsibilities, including representing Heritage’s Thatcher Center for Freedom in carrying out the organization’s “Initiative on Antisemitism”; organizing and hosting public and private events on anti-Semitism; and engaging with the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Anti-Semitism.
