“Anti-Semitism has no place in our society” - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tells SWC

January 20, 2022

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) today welcomed a strong statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the midst of an explosion of anti-Semitism in the United States - including the terrorist attack last Saturday at a Texas synagogue and the scapegoating of Jews during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“We reaffirm our sentiments regarding continued instances of antisemitism,’’ according to a statement issued to the Simon Wiesenthal Center by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We condemn the environment of hate-filled rhetoric that has become so prevalent. Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. It is the responsibility of good people everywhere to speak out and stand up for each other’s rights to worship and live peacefully,” the church statement said.

“We appreciate this timely and meaningful show of support from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Jewish community at a time of crisis. People of goodwill of all religions and none should step up and speak out against antisemitism and these false blood libels, wherever they emanate from,” said Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg, the SWC’s Director of United Nations Relations and Strategic Partnerships.

The Church, based in Salt Lake City, Utah issued the statement following a spate of reported antisemitic attacks in recent weeks across the country, Greenberg said. One particularly egregious incident occurred in Utah in early January when prominent businessman and Republican donor David Bateman sent an email to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other state political and business leaders accusing Jews of being behind the pandemic and of mass murder.

“I believe there is a sadistic effort underway to euthanize the American people,” Bateman wrote. “I believe the Jews are behind this. … I believe the pandemic and systematic extermination of billions of people will lead to an effort to consolidate all the countries in the world under a single flag with totalitarian rule.” 

Bateman resigned from the company he founded shortly afterward but did not apologize. After he left, the company donated $100,000 to renovate a local synagogue. 

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).