Trump's Names Special Envoy to Fight Global Anti-Semitism

JERUSALEM, Israel – Elan Carr, the United States' newly-appointed special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, will take his first trip to Belgium and Slovakia this week.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Carr's appointment Tuesday, which came after the Trump administration left the position open for more than two years.

Carr is a US Army veteran who served in Iraq. He’s also a prosecutor and a former president of the Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, in Los Angeles.

"Special Envoy Carr is a former criminal prosecutor, and currently serves as a military officer. He has also served as an anti-terrorism expert, and a Jewish community leader who has played a prominent role in defending the safety of the Jewish people at home and abroad," Pompeo said on Tuesday.

"Promoting human rights and religious freedom, including by combating anti-Semitism everywhere it exists, is a US foreign policy priority that furthers our national interests of stability and democracy," he continued. "We will not stand by in the face of oppression."

The Israeli-American Council applauded Carr's appointment.

"Elan Carr brings a depth of experience and insights as a prosecutor, military officer, and devoted leader in the Israeli-American and Jewish communities. We believe there is nobody more qualified to combat anti-Semitism head-on across the globe," IAC Chairman Adam Milstein said in a statement.

Carr's mother emigrated from Iraq to Israel when she was a child. Carr grew up in New York speaking Hebrew and Arabic.

In 2014, he ran for Congress as a Republican in California's 33rd but was defeated by Ted Lieu.