Spanish, French, British and Canadian Jewish communities have contacted officials at the U.S. State Department to explore the possibility of a pathway through which they could immigrate to the United States under refugee or other protected-status avenues, JNS has learned.
The communities have done so, JNS has learned, given the rise of Jew-hatred in their home countries.
A State Department official confirmed the information. There is no indication that the department has moved forward on the requests, or what position it might hold.
Yehuda Kaploun, a rabbi and the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, declined to comment directly on the information that JNS received.
“It is the government’s responsibility in those countries to make certain that the Jewish community has safety, security and the ability to practice their religion free from any type of harm,” he told JNS. “The U.S. government demands it.”
