Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, praised President Donald Trump for his unwavering support of Israel and his fight against antisemitism in the United States, saying the current moment presents an unprecedented opportunity for Jewish security and religious freedom.
Speaking to ynet, Kaploun said the Trump administration has made its priorities clear. “We have an unprecedented opportunity with the president, who has laid it out very clearly that America is going to fight terrorism and combat antisemitism,” he said.
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Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun (standing) at an event honoring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Miami
(Photo:Itamar Eichner)
Kaploun spoke following a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump at Mar-a-Lago, calling it “a historic moment” and further proof of the enduring friendship between Israel and the United States. “Our goals are aligned in the fight against terrorism. We work together to foster freedom and to combat antisemitism and hatred around the globe,” he said.
Asked about the rise of antisemitic voices within parts of the conservative camp in the United States, without naming specific figures, Kaploun attributed the phenomenon to misinformation and outside interference. “This is based on a lot of misinformation and misguidance,” he said. “It is increasing because foreign actors are funding and trying to influence policy here. We have to take a long look at where the money is coming from. Once we have that, we will have a clear understanding.”
On whether Jews and Israelis can live safely in the United States, Kaploun was unequivocal. “Absolutely,” he said. “America is based on religious liberty and freedom. There is freedom of speech, but there are also laws in place to protect the Jewish community. Jews have contributed to American society from the day of its inception.”
Kaploun also addressed last month’s deadly attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where two terrorists opened fire, killing 15 people. He sharply criticized the Australian government’s weak response to the rise in antisemitism, accusing authorities of failing to act on repeated warnings from Jewish leaders.
“There were threats, there were arsons and there were things that led up to it,” he said. “What we learn is that inaction and a failure to enforce laws lead to bigger events and to people taking greater liberties with Jewish lives.”
Asked whether the United States might consider steps against governments such as Australia that fail to adequately protect Jewish communities, Kaploun declined to elaborate. “That is something governments discuss in meetings. It is not for discussion in the press,” he said.
Kaploun was born in Kfar Chabad in central Israel and immigrated to the United States with his parents as a toddler, later settling in the Chabad neighborhood of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, near the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s study hall. Over the years, he became a prominent political supporter of Trump, building ties during Trump’s years in New York through business partner Ed Russo, a former environmental adviser to Trump, and through connections with influential Jewish business figures, including the Adelson family.
During Trump’s election campaign last year, Kaploun led Jewish outreach and voter mobilization efforts, serving as a liaison between Trump and leading rabbis and Jewish communal figures. Trump appointed him to his current senior role in May, tasking him with leading the administration’s fight against antisemitism at home and abroad.