Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, addressed the Israeli-American community on Thursday night as keynote speaker at the Israeli-American Council's "Strength in Unity: Leadership Meets Action" gala in San Diego.
"The Israeli-American community embodies a timeless truth: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," Dhillon said. "You carry the richness of two nations with two distinct histories built on faith, perseverance, and civic courage. Many of you are here because you, your parents, or your grandparents believed in the promise of the United States. You placed your trust in this country's commitment to liberty, pluralism, and opportunity. And you strengthened that promise with your own contributions of hard work and patriotism."
"Yet today, at a moment when antisemitism is rising at an unsettling pace, the security that once seemed assured now feels fragile. You know what it means to be vigilant, because you know what hatred can do when allowed to grow unchecked."
"Let me say plainly: the rise in antisemitism is not a wave of isolated incidents," she said. "It is a national crisis demanding national resolve. Communities are being tested. Institutions are being tested. Leaders are being tested. And no community understands that better than Israeli-Americans - who know what it means to face threats directly and refuse to back down."
"Your presence here tonight is itself a statement: you will not retreat. You will not be intimidated. I know - because I hear from you - that you are determined to see action and achieve results in beating back antisemitism in American life. The Civil Rights Division shares that determination. We are moving with speed, with focus, and with resolve.
"As Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, my mandate is to enforce federal law - to ensure that every American, including every Israeli-American, can live, learn, worship, and work without fear. And that is exactly what we are doing," she said.
"At Harvard University, where Jewish and Israeli students were harassed and excluded while the institution failed to act, the Civil Rights Division sued under Title VI. At UCLA, where masked demonstrators erected armed encampments, blocked Jewish students from entering academic buildings, pepper-sprayed them, and knocked them unconscious, we filed suit twice to hold UCLA accountable. Nationwide, we have secured nearly half a billion dollars in settlements with major universities like Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell, and Brown. These agreements now contain concrete, enforceable protections for Jewish and Israeli students and faculty."
"And we are far from finished," Dhillon added. "Several additional antisemitism investigations remain active at universities. In fact, the Division is investigating over 100 educational institutions - colleges, universities, medical schools, and law schools - for civil rights violations tied to discriminatory admissions practices and racially segregated policies. We've found evidence that many of these policies and practices foster antisemitic climates."
Detailing her department's work, she explained, "We are currently litigating a case against a coffee house for denying service to Jewish customers - explicit antisemitic discrimination in a public accommodation. We are prosecuting antisemitic violence with equal determination - from indictments in New Jersey and California to hate-crime charges brought in Washington, DC, and New York. When a Jew is attacked because he is a Jew, that is a federal crime, and we will bring federal power to bear."
"We have deployed RLUIPA to confront discriminatory zoning laws aimed at Orthodox Jewish communities," she stressed. "We have used the FACE Act to protect worshippers at synagogues and religious schools. Intimidation at a house of worship is not protest; it is unlawful obstruction, and we will treat it as such. The Civil Rights Division will act in every forum the law allows - campuses, workplaces, public accommodations, and houses of worship."
"The enforcement of our laws is not symbolic or rhetorical. We apply the hard power of the United States government, which is a weighty responsibility. If we want a future in which Israeli-American children walk through their neighborhoods without fear, then we need something more than simply enforcement of federal law. We need a renewal - a renaissance - of American cultural values: nonviolence, religious liberty, civic responsibility, and mutual respect. Laws can stop violence, but they cannot create respect.
"That's why you have increased security at synagogues and schools. You watch your children more closely," she said. "When you do speak out about intimidation or discrimination, it's often accompanied by fear of retaliation. We understand that fear, and we are committed to protecting the people who come forward. The Department of Justice will continue to enforce the law aggressively. We will continue to bring charges and file lawsuits. Those are public actions, but behind the scenes we are also negotiating with universities and businesses to protect your rights."
"We will continue to stand alongside you in partnership with your synagogues, your schools, and organizations like the IAC," Dhillon added. "In every corner of this country, Jewish leaders are stepping up to report incidents and document wrongdoing. Keep doing that. We hear you; you are often the reason we can act to keep a problem from growing into a full-blown crisis. In the coffee house case, community reporting triggered our initial investigation. At UCLA, many students came forward because community partners encouraged them - and their courage is driving the case forward."
Praising the community, she added, "The Israeli-American community holds a special place in American civic life. You embody a blend of courage, identity, and commitment that enriches this nation. And you know that the antidote to hatred is not retreat but engagement."
"As long as I serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, fighting antisemitism - through every existing federal tool - will be one of my highest priorities. Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, we've made a lot of progress. America's promise is that you would be free to live as Jews and as Americans. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping that promise."
Dhillon closed by thanking the audience "for your unity, your courage, and your unwavering commitment to the values we share."