New 'PEACE Act' Mandates State Dept. Focus on European Antisemitism and Terrorism, Requires Annual Briefings

The Protecting Europe from Antisemitic Crime and Extremism Act, or the PEACE Act, is a foreign policy bill that puts a spotlight on two specific issues across the Atlantic: rising antisemitism and international terrorism. Essentially, this bill elevates these problems to a formal priority for U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy.

Making Antisemitism a Foreign Policy Priority

This legislation (Sec. 2) formally states that the U.S. Congress believes the ongoing danger of antisemitism and terrorism in Europe must be treated as an “important issue” for the Department of State. This means it’s not just a side conversation; it’s now a mandated topic for high-level diplomatic engagement. The bill directs the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, working through the Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, to engage directly with governments in "countries of concern." The goal of these discussions is pretty straightforward: work together to fight these threats, which could endanger stability, the safety of U.S. citizens, and U.S. institutions overseas. Think of it as a formal diplomatic push to keep things stable and safe for anyone traveling, working, or living abroad in Europe.

The Mandate for Oversight and Information

The real teeth of the PEACE Act are in the required reporting. It doesn’t just tell the State Department to care about the issue; it forces them to report on what they’re doing. The Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs must brief the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (the “appropriate congressional committees”) within 180 days of the Act becoming law. Crucially, this briefing must be provided annually for two additional years (Sec. 2). For regular folks, this means Congress gets a mandatory, regular check-up on how effective our diplomatic efforts are in combating these issues, which increases transparency and oversight.

Who Gets the Focus? The Vague 'Countries of Concern'

While the intent is clear—to combat hate and terror—there is a detail that gives the Executive Branch a fair amount of wiggle room. The bill mandates engagement with governments in "countries of concern." The legislation doesn't define what makes a country a "concern," leaving that determination up to the State Department. This means the department has significant discretion in choosing which nations to target for these specific diplomatic efforts. For instance, the State Department could decide to focus on countries with high rates of hate crimes, or those where terrorist groups are known to be active. This flexibility allows the administration to adapt its focus, but it also means the criteria for engagement aren't locked down in the law itself.