Engel was presented the award by the Bronx Borough President of the Met Council Ruben Diaz Jr.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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(photo credit: Courtesy)
House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and Congressman Eliot Engel was honored by the Met Council at the organization's Jewish Poverty Annual Legislative Breakfast, receiving the “Fighting Hate and Antisemitism Award."
He won the award "for his work in Congress as both chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the House Antisemitism Task Force," according to a statement to the press.
Engel was presented the award by the Bronx Borough President of the Met Council Ruben Diaz Jr.
“I am so honored to receive the Fighting Hate and Antisemitism Award from the Met Council on Jewish Poverty," Engel said. "As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the House Antisemitism Task Force, combating hate and antisemitism remains a huge priority of mine, especially in these trying times. The rise in antisemitism cannot be ignored or swept under the rug, nor can the rise in Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of hatred. We need to be clear that those who seek to tear us apart because of our religion, race, or background are un-American and have no place in our society. I thank the Met Council not just for this award, but for the outstanding work they do in unifying our community.”
Engel will be at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference on June 16, where he will join other senior political leaders, newsmakers and opinion shapers - to discuss the key opportunities and challenges facing the State of Israel and the Jewish world.
The conference is open to 1,500 attendees and is expected to receive international media coverage.
Engel in the past has stated that there is absolutely no contradiction – none whatsoever – in being a strong and proud Democrat and a strong and proud supporter of Israel, and he has held that position as a staunch supporter for most of his political career.
In a related development, the Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri apparently had no qualms about using an antisemitic slur in a meeting with Engel.
The Lebanese daily Al-Jumhouriyya quoted Berri as saying during his meeting with Engel, "How to Recognize a Jew? If you see a pregnant woman, get close to her and toss a piece of gold near her or at her feet. If the fetus jumps out from his mother's womb and grabs the gold, you know he is a Jew."
The meeting, which took place last week, was meant to focus on negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on demarcating the maritime border between the two countries, which would impact oil and gas drilling rights in the Mediterranean.
In addition, just last month several Democratic members of the House of Representatives, led by Engel, called on Trump to cancel his meeting with the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Mihály Orban, citing his previous antisemitic and xenophobic comments.
