U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law vital bipartisan legislation named for the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, the White House announced in a statement, on Jan. 15 – days before Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The ELIE WIESEL GENOCIDE AND ATROCITY PREVENTION ACT (GAPA), approved unanimously by the Senate in December has been a cornerstone of Jewish World Watch’s advocacy efforts for years. It’s incredible to finally see this vision of coordinated, holistic, and comprehensive genocide prevention realized! Thank you to both California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris for co-sponsoring this critical piece of legislation, which establishes the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes as a core national security interest and fundamental moral imperative.
GAPA will establish two crucial mechanisms for genocide prevention: (1) a Mass Atrocities Task Force to strengthen agency efforts at atrocity prevention and response and (2) a Complex Crises Fund to enable the State Department and USAID to quickly respond to emerging or unforeseen complex crises oversees, including potential atrocity crimes.
A million thanks to JWW activists for the thousands upon thousands of letters you sent, phone calls you made, and advocacy meetings with elected officials that you have participated in! We couldn’t have achieved this without your unwavering support!