Israel launches international confab on combating antisemitism

The second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism—Generation of Truth, dedicated to confronting Jew-hatred and Holocaust denial, kicked off in Jerusalem on Monday morning.

International policymakers, parliamentarians, academics and media professionals are there to discuss the core issues of the problem.

Held at the capital’s International Convention Center, aka Binyanei HaUma, the two-day conference is being led by Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli.

The participants include Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Dutch Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders.

Also attending are professionals and academics such as marketing professor Gad Saad, JNS CEO Alex Traiman, Babylon Bee parody outlet CEO Seth Dillon and author Dinesh D’Souza.

Chikli explains the background for the conference on the event’s website: Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, “the world has seen a resurgence of hatred, a dangerous increase in violence, and an unsettling tolerance for antisemitism disguised as political discourse.

“Not only does this surge threaten the lives of Jews worldwide, but it also jeopardizes the memory of the Holocaust and the essential lesson it serves for all humanity,” the minister continues.

Chikli frames the conference as a “global call for action” that brings together prominent figures to develop practical strategies to directly confront antisemitism.

The event was scheduled around International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is marked on Jan. 27.

Watch below the first session of talks that was held on Monday.

At a ceremony on Monday evening, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, Leo Terrell, will receive the Israeli government’s medal of honor for his fight against antisemitism.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid told JNS at his Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset on Monday, “I think every Jew on the earth understands that in the past three years the rise of antisemitism has become threatening and alarming in ways we didn’t see for a long, long time and we need to cooperate and work together in order to fight this.

“The Diaspora is desperate and frightened, and we have to work with them. We have to send them a message telling them you are our brothers and sisters, and we are here for you,” Lapid said.

On Tuesday, the event will continue from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through sessions, panels and discussions led by dozens of leaders from around the world aimed at formulating practical tools and strengthening collaborations.

© JNS