Amichai Chikli, the Israeli minister for Diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, met Thursday in Washington with Leo Terrell, chairman of the U.S. Justice Department’s task force on combating Jew-hatred.
They discussed “additional aspects of the fight against antisemitism that have seeped into schools, as well as other related issues” during the “excellent” meeting at the Department of Justice, Chikli said.
Terrell is “leading an uncompromising campaign against the leadership of the Ivy League universities, which have failed to protect their Jewish students from discrimination and antisemitic attacks,” the Israeli minister tweeted.
The Trump administration official “is a man of heart and conviction who moved the people of Israel with his unwavering support for the war against Hamas and the effort to bring our hostages home,” he said.
Chikli hinted that Israel would soon make a “special announcement” regarding Terrell and thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for the “critical appointment and for his administration’s determined fight against antisemitism.”
He later tweeted that he also had “an important and truly inspiring meeting” with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
“For years, we heard speeches about fighting antisemitism, but saw little action. Under the Biden administration, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas-affiliated organization CAIR was even included in the national antisemitism strategy,” Chikli wrote. “Everything changed when @AGPamBondi took office in February 2025. From her first day, the @TheJusticeDept signaled a completely different direction. In less than a year, the new DOJ leadership has made the fight against antisemitism on campus, online, and in the streets a top national priority.”
He added that the Trump administration does not merely speak about “Never Again.” “It empowered two of the toughest and most fearless women in the Justice Department, and they are reshaping federal policy so America never again ignores threats against its Jewish communities,” he said.
Had an important and truly inspiring meeting with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) December 4, 2025
For years we heard speeches about fighting antisemitism, but saw little action. Under the Biden administration, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas… pic.twitter.com/cSZJCHwZAQ
Speaking at an Israel Hayom conference in New York City on Tuesday, Chikli expressed concerns over “white supremacy, Nazi antisemites and conspiracies” entering the mainstream over the past two years.
He singled out former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, making the claim that the popular right-wing pundit is serving foreign interests.
“I believe Tucker is being paid to push forward sharia law,” Chikli said. When pressed on whether he believes that Carlson is being funded by Qatar, the senior minister replied, “I think he is being paid by Qatar, yes,” though he acknowledged that this was “hard to prove.”
He said that the Jewish state should “stay out of the fight” inside Trump’s MAGA movement, adding that figures such as Carlson and prominent white supremacist Nick Fuentes are “not conservatism” and that the battle should be waged by “real conservative leaders” within the U.S.
