The 6Th Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism ICC Jerusalem, March 19Th-21St, 2018

The 6th Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism ICC Jerusalem, March 19th-21st, 2018

Summary of GFCA Panels

The following is a brief summary of the various thematic panel discussions and their operative conclusions:

Hate in the Age of New Politics:

Confronting Neo-Nazism and Antisemitism of the Extreme Right in the United States and Elsewhere

Sharon Nazarian,, ADL Senior VP for International Affairs, began the panel by situating the white supremacist movement within the context of dramatically rising numbers of antisemitic incidents in the US and the increase in white supremacist recruitment efforts including on college campuses.

Mike Signer, former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, described the impact of his Jewish heritage on his public service, especially as related to his leadership during the August 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally. Signer suggested that the Alt Right lost legitimacy when it began to use violence as an instrument for spreading ideology.

Yair Rosenberg, Senior Writer for Tablet Magazine, described his efforts to "troll the trolls." He argued that when confronted online by antisemitic harassers who intend to silence or intimidate, repaying with dismissive humor can be a way of turning the tables on them and revealing their ignorance and maliciousness to a wide audience.

Eric K. Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center, described his decades of work studying and opposing white supremacists in the US. He underscored the fact that hatred of Jews is the unifying core of white supremacist ideology, and called for a greater mobilization by civil society to oppose this movement. Ha asked that Israeli government take care to distance itself from any type of far right hate innuendo in US or elsewhere,

Operative suggestions raised during the panel included the following:

1) Need for better understanding by municipal and law enforcement authorities of anxiety and fear level experienced by the Jewish communities due to extreme right public actions. Perhaps there is need for a renewed discussion in US on constitutional parameters regarding severe hate provocation.

2) Need for greater tools of resilience and push back against hate trolling; there is a need for private sector take responsibility for preventing extreme right manifestations. Airbnb temporarily closing down rentals available in Charlottesville is an example of possible steps.

3) The sane majority should not keep silent, in the face of extreme hate by small groups attempting to gain political power and control of the public square.

Antisemitism in the Far Left: Intersectionality as a Cover for Hate Speech in Current Progressive Activism

David Bernstein, President and CEO, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, suggested a conceptual framework for understanding the current situation. Since the end of the ‘60’s, the Left understands oppression as caused by global structures. The weak are by definition the oppressed, as they are discriminated by power and capital. Hence the weak by definition cannot be racist, because structurally they are the victims of racism. Since Israel and the Jewish people are in a position of power, they are generally not identified by the Left as potential victims of racism, and at best these issues are allowed to fall through the cracks. In the past, antisemitic conspiratorial thinking were held by radical groups in the margins, but one hears these ideas today more in the mainstream. Marx’s idea that the Jews are not a nation has been adopted by arts of the Left as part of the delegitimization of Israel. He advocated using the language of intersectionality to enter their space. Simply attacking it conceptually from the outside will not be an effective strategy.

Sohrab Ahmari, Senior writer, Commentary Magazine, cited Judith Butler’s position that Hamas and Hizbullah are part of the global left, which means that she understands them as perfectly legitimate organizations. Ahmari described what he called ‘the Olympics of oppression, with everyone vying to be the most oppressed- but with no acknowledgement of Jews as victims”. Intersectionality promotes a relativism which is not good for the Jewish people, as it lacks all historic context and does not take into account the suffering of the Jews in the 20th century which necessitates their statehood.

Nadine Epstein, Editor-in-Chief, Moment Magazine, said the antisemitism of the left is less dangerous than the far right in the US because it is not carrying guns. She focused on the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter movements, advocated engagement with them wherever possible, and does not believe the problematic positions of the leadership impugn the entire movements with antisemitism, as most participants are ignorant of the leadership views.

Dave Rich, Associate at the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, said that in the discourse of the far-left, identity politics has replaced class politics. Intersectionality encompasses the notion that all oppressions are connected, so that the perceived oppression of one person is in reality addressed by the campaign of everyone else who sees themselves as similarly oppressed. Oppression in this thinking implies the absence of power. Hence Jews and Israel need not apply, as they are perceived as having power.

LGBTQ Expert Panel on Contemporary Antisemitism Inside the Rainbow Coalition

Tyler Harris Gregory, Executive Director of A Wider Bridge pointed out that the LGBT rights movement has historically been one of the most successful and is similar to Zionism in many ways. Why then has the LGBT movement become a home for many anti-Zionist activists?

It is important that we underline a number of points. First of all, Israel is by far the from conservative and religious Jerusalem, but nevertheless, Israel is overall very liberal and open to LGBT rights. Secondly, we need to challenge our movement for its lack of focus on the terrible things happening in other places, such as Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East, and what is the LGBT movement doing to help these people.

Gretchen Hammond, Journalist and Fellow at Tablet Magazine, recounted the antisemitism she witnessed first hand in Chicago, “where people from my own community turned against the Jews. In 2017 I reported regarding three Jewish activists who were banned from the Dyke March in Chicago. We did not expect this to attract as much attention as it did.” The Dyke March released three different response statements, and Hammond had an argument with her editor who wanted to present only one side of the argument. Hammond was roundly attacked and banned from her newspaper, more or less forcing her to separate from the LGBT community.

The LGBT movement in the US is too fractured and politicized at present, and one finds a more coherent attitude and position actually in Tel Aviv. Israel is singled out for pink washing, but when one considers it, every liberal country could be similarly condemned for being advanced on LGBT issues but lacking on others.

Avi Sofer, former Executive Director of Agudah, said that LGBT antisemitism is a new instance of well established present forms of antisemitism. Particularly in Europe, our many friends in the LGBT community remain silent. We encounter a radical politics imposed by a minority, and one finds that there is no will or desire to hear an objective factual description of the situation in Israel.. Malmo it is so antisemitic one cannot identify there either as a Jew or as an LGBT, but this is ignored.

Pink washing is innuendo and an exercise in deflection, The term was created to close down speech, and to keep us from talking about actual issues. I would that when one is accused of pink washing, the response should be – let’s speak about things as they are, without name calling and evasion.

Elizabeth Schwartz, Author and Attorney of LGBT family law, said that we are confronting antisemitism even inside some parts of the Jewish community. Many people see the world as the oppressor vs. the oppressed and paint all the complexities of the world in black and white. At the same time, In the same way, it is not right to paint all progressives and lefty actions as antisemitic. I do not want to us leaving the social justice table, and not nearly enough is known about the social justice work happening in Israel. It is fine that the LGBT movement not agree with all aspects of Israel or its policies, but the very troubling question remains: Why is Israel singled out?

The Persistence of Christian Theological Antisemitism in the Mainline Protestant Church: Coping with Bigotry and Hate in the Spiritual Realm

Rabbi David Sandmel, Director of Interreligious Relations, ADL spoke about the Kairos Palestine document, released in 2009. The document is a call for justice and peace by a select group of Palestinian Christians. In reality, it traffics in classical Christian anti-Judaism, distorts history, and refuses to recognize the Jewish connection to the land of Israel. It has and will continue to be used by the Christian BDS activists in the U.S. especially on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state and the tenth anniversary of the Kairos document adoption.

Rabbi Yehiel Poupko of the Chicago Jewish Federation said that one example of the theological problems of the Kairos document is its rejection of Jewish particularism, a feature of Palestinian Liberation Theology as seen in the work of Naim Ateek. The land of Israel becomes universalized, and the identity of Jews and their historical connection is erased. In the Mainline Protestant critique of the Jewish return to sovereignty, we are seeing transference of two thousand years of Christian non-acceptance of Jewish particularism.

Robert Nicholson, Executive Director, Philos Project, said Christians in Israel and Palestine have generally not resorted to violence, but have become much more vocal of late. Christian Palestinians are seen as Arabs by the Jews and as Christians by the Moslem majority, thus they are a doubly oppressed minority. Kairos harms Israel and Jewish-Christian relations, and also harms Christian-Christian relations, both outside and inside the land.

Lallene Rector, President, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, said that antisemitism persists in Protestant theological education as the result of a type of “blindness.” Since antisemitism doesn’t directly affect Christians, they don’t “see” it, and this is a form of narcissism. Theological education must be intentional about the history of Christian antisemitism. In biblical studies, the Hebrew Scriptures must be allowed to stand on its own terms, not merely as a precursor to the Gospel. The anti- Judaism in the Gospels, particularly in Paul must be addressed. Christians have to depart their comfort zone in order to recognize these challenges.

Maria Leppakari, Director of the Swedish Theological Institute, said that constructive interreligious encounters can make a difference, and It is essential that meetings not stop when problems arise. Some say that interreligious dialogue is becoming a mission impossible; however, we need to understand that it is not religions that meet, but religious people. Liberal Protestants should let conflicting narratives stop dialogue, and need to embrace face to face communication, and not disengage due to disagreement.

The Denial of Jewish History in International Organizations: The Case of Jerusalem in UNESCO, and New Means of Response

Irina Bokova, former UNESCO secretary general said that it is important to understand the roots of hatred, and that we need to have an ethical and political response to antisemitism. Many of UNESCO’s programs have dealt with Holocaust

4 remembrance and education which is a tool in the fight against antisemitism, and UNESCO is the only UN organization which has approached these issues systematically. She said that: We need to provide more knowledge about Jewish history and I have endeavored to do that during my tenure. On Jerusalem, in my message to UNESCO before the vote on the resolution, I urged the body not to cross a red line. I appealed to the members to recognize the importance of Jerusalem to all three religions and to promote mutual respect. The global tendency to politicize multilateral organizations needs to be faced by those who want to protect the integrity of these organizations and work for a consensus on their basic missions. Bokova expressed her regret at the decision of the US and Israel to leave UNESCO, which will only deepen the challenges inside the organization. Daniel Mariaschin, Bnai Brith chief executive, expressed his frustration that the international agencies have been identified by Israel’s enemies as a convenient political weapon. The animosity towards Israel in these fora is now widening into a more general hostility against the Jewish people as a collective. As an example he mentioned steps taken in UNESCO to detach Jerusalem from its Jewish roots, and to give the specific Islamic name to the Temple Mount at the expense of Jewish and Christian history. Peta Pellach of the Elijah Interfaith Institute, said that culture is based on memory. It is important to analyze conflicting memories and UNESCO’s educational mission should be devoted to that. On Jerusalem, Israel was subjected to “special superficialism” particularly in the idea of renaming historic sites. This is what Soviet Russia did in destroying names and perverting history. The renaming of Jerusalem is within that context. Israel was abandoned in this resolution. We need to educate about the Jewish vision and the importance of Jerusalem and recognize its past, and its place in the reality of Jewish sovereignty. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations, Simon Wiesenthal Center presented a case history of the world heritage committee, showing a pattern of behavior in which the Palestinians have sought to appropriate a list of vitally important Jewish historic sites. Ivo Goldstein served as the Croatian ambassador to UNESCO, presented a case history of the Palestinian campaign to name Battir near Jerusalem, is an example of their claiming an ancient Jewish site as their own. David Roet, former deputy permanent representative of Israel to UN discussed the abuse of terminology by the Palestinians and their supporters to advance their claims to historic sites, in particular, the Temple Mount, and the question of the Western Wall whose reference in the original resolution was left out. The problems of rewriting history are not only in UNESCO and antisemitism has found its way into the deliberations of the UN including at the Security Council. There have been some attempts to address antisemitism in the UN system, but follow up activities have no occurred

Revisionism and the Politics of Holocaust Remembrance: Antisemitism in the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

Ultra-Nationalism and Antisemitism in Eastern Europe: Far-right and ultra-nationalist political groups have gained significant traction across Europe- particularly in former communist bloc states because of disillusionment with the European Union and other transnational political and economic coalitions, disillusionment with domestic governments and their inability to raise standards of living, fear for economic and physical security vis-à-vis the refugee crisis, and other social factors that play into a populist agenda.

As these political groups gain power, they deploy centuries-old, ethno-nationalist state-building techniques, including provocations of antisemitic sentiment. Antisemitism takes the form of propagating conspiracy theories, use of pejorative slurs in public statements and vandalism, desecration of Jewish heritage and community sites, and some cases of physical violence against Jews.

The delegates to the forum were all deeply affected by the shocking powerpoint on the extreme right in Austria,

Holocaust Revisionism As several countries, among them Hungary, Ukraine, and Poland, have taken a significant political turn to the right, governments are rewriting national historical narratives that minimize the complicity of members of titular ethnic groups (Hungarians, Poles, etc.) in the Holocaust. In so doing, they are trafficking in Holocaust revisionism and politicizing the Holocaust to strengthen national identity at the expense of local Jewish communities and an objective account of history.

Of particular concern is the rehabilitation and bestowing of hero status upon nationalist militants from World War II, who fought against Soviet and/or Nazi occupiers while also in many cases assisting the Nazis in the extermination of Jews and others.

Poland Poland attracted international attention and outcry when the Parliament passed and President subsequently signed Anti-Defamation legislation. The legislation limits public discussion of the Holocaust and criminalizes use of the phrase “Polish death camps” as well as other vaguely defined terms pertaining to the complicity of Poles in the Holocaust. There has been a marked uptick in public antisemitic speech in Poland since the law passed and states and organizations have reacted accordingly.

Russian Influence The Russian Federation pursues a foreign policy that aims to grow its influence in its surrounding neighborhood and supports far-right parties in European states that align with the Kremlin’s interests.

While domestically the Russian government supports the Jewish community, the Kremlin’s support of far right, ultra-nationalist groups in Europe has come with the consequence of growing antisemitism and xenophobia across the European continent.

Furthermore, the threat of Russia violating territorial integrity as it has done in Ukraine has given rise to greater nationalist sentiment, and subsequent antisemitism.

Ways and Means for Combating Antisemitism and Hate Governments at Work: Showcase of Proactive Plans for Combating Antisemitism The four panelists described the background to their state's/agency's work in this field in two separate presentations.

Francois Croquette, Ambassador of France for Human Rights referred to three triggers for the French Government’s current efforts: the murder of Ilan Halimi, Mohammed Merah's attack against the Ozer Hatorah School in Toulouse, and the 2015 Paris assaults against Hyper Cacher. The enhanced security cover over the French Jewish community has contributed in part to a reduction in incidents.

The government has also established DILCRAH, the inter-departmental commission within the Prime Minister's office, which developed a three-year action plan. Having evaluated its effectiveness at the end of 2017 they are now launching a second action plan, which will focus, inter alia, on online antisemitism, education, naming and shaming those who promote antisemitism and increasing the Government's cooperation internationally.

Darius Skusevicius, Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania noted that Lithuania has no large or active extremist groups, so his government's focus is on commemoration of the Jews' presence and teaching young people, and civil servants, about Jews and Israel through education and visits. They have adopted the IHRA Working Definition and are deploying it in the education system and increasing their collaboration with the Jewish community.

Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism noted the exchanges and education programs between the European institutions and Israeli institutions, the outcome of the Fundamental Rights Colloquium and the European Parliament resolution of April 2017.

She referred to the FRA surveys and how the first of these had highlighted the reality that European Jews no longer feel safe, and the perception that their law enforcement agencies are failing to protect them. The EC has embarked on, or commissioned, training for law enforcement officials, teachers and officials and seeks to demonstrate the changing nature of antisemitism and the difference between official perceptions of it and that of Jewish victims. In her role she seeks to give voice to Jews' concerns by visiting communities and relaying their concerns to the EC Vice President and Justice Commissioner.

Ilan Cohn, Project Manager of OSCE ODIHR “Words into Action” Initiative to Recognize and Combat Antisemitism described the background to the OSCE ODIHR initiatives to recognize and then combat antisemitism, through education of law enforcement officials and others, since the Vienna and Berlin conferences. The current German government-funded “Words into Action” initiative seeks to enhance

7 the defense of Jewish communities but rests on agreements between the agency and states. It has translated its “Words into Action” guidance into different languages but can only proceed further if more states sign memoranda of agreements.

In terms of recommendations, three themes emerged:

 States have concluded international agreements designed to combat antisemitism and enhance the security of their Jewish citizens. They should make greater efforts to apply these agreements, drawing on the guidance and advice of the European agencies.

 The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism was formulated as a guide to criminal justice agencies and educators to understand the nature of contemporary antisemitism. All states should adopt it, and then seek to apply it.

 States should heed the advice of the European agencies and seek to monitor Antisemitic incidents and crimes in a consistent fashion, in order to enable valid analyses and comparisons.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the Working Definition of Antisemitism - Expanding Adoption and Utilization of an Important Policy Tool

Although the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is non-legally binding, it has gained considerable traction in several domestic and international governmental structures since the 31country IHRA passed a decision to adopt the working definition in late May 2016. Since this date, close to ten countries, a number of municipal and local governments, and the European Parliament have adopted or endorsed the use of this definition.

 Passing this working definition required the unique structure of the IHRA, which allows national delegations that include diplomats and subject matter experts to engage regularly so that they can design and implement strategies to ensure continued relevance of the Holocaust, including the need to address antisemitism and Holocaust distortion.

 The working definition of antisemitism, and the related IHRA working definition of Holocaust denial and distortion, provide common frames of reference for discussion and understanding of antisemitism and the ways it is manifested. While the documents are not legally binding, they are important political, educational, and moral tools that allow for the common understanding necessary to confront antisemitism.

 At the same time, political and cultural trends have increased the likelihood that distortion of Holocaust history will continue to grow. This pernicious form of antisemitism invites those more dangerous variants of antisemitism to gain acceptance in broader society. Therefore, the IHRA is committed to building

understanding Holocaust denial through its working definitions of Holocaust denial, as well as through strategic programs that confront distortion.

The panelists agreed unanimously that other countries should endorse and/or adopt the working definition of antisemitism in order to build understanding and responses to this threat. To do so, the IHRA and national governments should work in cooperation with representative Jewish organizations, like the EJC. Moreover, the panel suggests consideration of ways the definition might serve to address antisemitism as it appears in the works of some human rights NGOs.

Countering Antisemitism Through E-Learning and Educational Tools Four presentations were made about educational tools and initiatives for teaching about contemporary antisemitism, two about e-learning and two about more traditional face to face learning.

 Dr. Naama Shick from Yad Vashem presented the new MOOC (massive online open course) recently developed by Yad Vashem, which uses experts from around the world to present the history of antisemitism and the complex situation today. The MOOC went online on the day the conference opened.

 Jacques Fredj the Executive Director of the Memorial de la Shoah discussed how events in France have led the Memorial to engage, especially with young Muslims about discrimination, racism and antisemitism, in various settings, including prisons.

 Nicole Miller, Executive Director of FAST - Fighting Antisemitism Together, Canada, presented their online educational material, which discusses antisemitism in the framework of human rights, and the Holocaust in the framework of other genocides. They use local incidents to spark discussion about antisemitism.

 Shani Lourie from Yad Vashem presented the workshop and rationale for it that Yad Vashem has created to bring teachers through a process that helps them understand what antisemitism is, and why it is important to address it in the classroom. This program also encourages teachers to use local incidents as triggers for discussion.

Antisemitism in Arabic Language Mass Media - New Tools and Strategies for the Advance of Inter-Semitic Understanding

The panelists emphasized the connection between antisemitism in the Arabic language mass media and the conflict in the Middle East. The topics which appear in the Arabic language mass media are still the same, although there are slight shifts in the prominence of domestic issues or the focus on internal affairs. The tools and the strategies for the advance of mutual understanding suggested by the panelists are:

 Identifying a clear distinction between criticism of Israeli policies and actions and antisemitism.

 Promoting the study of the common history and culture of Jews in Muslim lands, and the Jews' contributions to those societies as a basis or a means to combat prejudice and stigmas. This is important mainly in the case of the younger generation which is not aware of the role of the Jews in their societies.

 Promoting the study of Arabic as mandatory subject in Israel in order to further understanding of Arab societies and to improve communication, through mass media, social networks and in person.

 Emphasizing the common denominators of Judaism and Islam.

 Encouraging western countries and NGOs financing Muslim organizations to condition their support upon non-engagement in antisemitic activities and publications.

 Encouraging publications and educational material regarding the history of the Holocaust and of antisemitism in Arabic. Such materials almost do not exist.

 Increasing the number of Israeli spokespersons who can speak and appear in Arabic language media. At present, this number is small and constricted.

 Including Iran and Persian-language media in these efforts.

 Raising awareness to the fact that Islamic fanaticism is a complex dynamic that includes antisemitism, hostility towards other minorities and, importantly, but also intra-religious animosity among Muslim groups.

Holocaust Remembrance and Education for Tolerance Among Muslim and Immigrant Communities in Europe

Estee Webman of Tel Aviv University discussed the problematics in inculcating Holocaust education among Muslim immigrants, many of whom come from countries where antisemitism relating to the Arab-Israeli conflictis rampant, and also takes on Nazi imagery. When the Holocaust is acknowledged, it is often portrayed as episode which has been exploited by Zionism for political ends. Mehnaz Afridi, Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center, Manhattan College, was born in Pakistan and emigrated to America where she currently resides. Initially she encountered Islamophobic reactions against herself when she began in her current role, including negative reactions at times from within the Jewish community. For many Muslims, Israel is not perceived as a Jewish state but rather as a western colonial state similar to the colonial creations of Britain and France. There is very little understanding of the Jewish meaning of Zionism or of the Jewish story in history. Conspiracy theories about Jewish power and Jewish eveil influence is the standard in many Muslim countries and societies.

Afridi works hard both in mosques and synagogues and tries to bring the communities together, in particular young people. An additional effective strategy is organization of meetings between young Muslims and Holocaust survivors, Dervisc Hizaraci, President, Kreuzberg Initiative against Antisemitism, Germany, has been dealing with the Holocaust education and combating antisemitism among Muslims in Germany for almost 15 years. The common assumption in Germany is that German Muslims do not care about the Holocaust and that they are anti-Jewish. Attempts by Muslims to enter into the conversation on the history of the Shoah are often treated as disingenuous. This contributes to their sense of alienation form society and German identity, and lowers the motivation of young Muslims in Germany to learn and become aware of the history of the Shoah and overcome antisemitic bias. Noha Khatib, Deputy Director, Center for Humanistic Education, Ghetto Fighters Museum said that Holocaust education in the Israeli Arab language school curriculum is not adequately extensive or experiential, rather teaching it as dry history. Her center works to teach the history of the Shoah to Arab Israeli audiences, and indeed to use this as an appropriate instrument for strengthening ties between Jewish and Arab communities.

The Protection of Jewish and Muslim Religious Practice Against Legislative Assault in Europe

The assault on religious practice is widespread throughout Europe. Rabbi Lody van der Kamp spoke about a new law against shechita in the Netherlands introduced just last Friday. Michael Schudrich spoke about a new law on animal protection that contains provisions that would endanger shechita – it is being discussed today in Warsaw by a constitutional commission to determine its legality under Polish law. Jonas Karpantschof from Denmark spoke after the panel about a referendum against Brit Milah likely to get the necessary signatures – it would penalize circumcision with a six year sentence, similar to female genital mutilation. He also mentioned five members of the Iceland Parliament who are introducing legislation to ban circumcision.

There was general agreement that the assaults against religious practices are cast as an issue of children and animal rights, however, the discussion often devolves into antisemitic imagery and stereotypes. Opposition comes from across the political spectrum; a new danger is the opposition by many far- right-wing parties who claim to be pro-Israel.

A major theme of the session was the necessity of closer cooperation between Muslims and Jews to combat the increasing number of assaults, a cooperation underlined by Dr. David Katz and Ruchasana Shain from the UK.

Also of great importance is the need for greater internal Jewish cooperation to collect arguments and improve our messaging on this issue, as the opponents are well- organized with a raft of false information and even more faulty studies they laud as proof of the alleged dangers of circumcisions.

Regarding religious slaughter, there were numerous comments that we should turn the discussion to the problems with current methods of pre-stunning, as well as other methods used to slaughter animals; also emphasized was the importance of focusing on the conditions under which animals live, not just how they die.

Latin American Regional Conference for Combating Antisemitism Public Policies to Combat Antisemitism: Progress and Challenges The moderator of this session was Claudio Epelman, Executive Director of the Latin American Jewish Congress

Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico, spoke about his country’s commitment to the fight against antisemitism, and its desire to strengthen the relations with Israel, as well the positive role of the Jewish Community in the country. He expressed concern from the assault on human dignity around the world, such as chauvinistic hyper-nationalism, Islamophobia, racial superiority rhetoric, and he described the activities of his ministry to fight antisemitism. He expressed solidarity towards the suffering of the Jewish people, who were exiled from their land and succeeded in rebuilding their state.

He spoke of his impressions of the hypothesis of Yuval Harrai that all nations are a product of immigration, and the difference between healthy nationalism of nation building, and dangerous nationalism which attempts to incite one group against another. Mexico is a multinational and multiracial country dealing with challenges of family violence, disappearance of people, protection of minors, attitudes towards immigrants, and now also the challenge of web hate where unfortunately there are many manifestations of antisemitism.

Claudio Avruj, National Secretary of Human Rights and Cultural Pluralism, Argentina, spoke about the background of antisemitism in Argentina, and the proven successes today in the fight against it. He referred to the legislation against discrimination, that was implemented as a result of the Jewish community’s effort, and stressed the commitment of President Macri to the topic, as opposed to the previous government. His office’s main plan of action is “integration without discrimination.” He stated that the problem today is not discrimination against Jewish people, but towards immigrants from neighboring countries, but spoke of his concern about linkage that has been created between the Middle East conflict and growing antisemitism.

Means and Actions Tools to Combat Antisemitism in Latin America The moderator of this session was Marcos Peckel, Executive Director, Confederation of Jewish Communities of Colombia

Daniel Kersffeld, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, said that each community in the region has unique characteristics, there are many reasons behind antisemitism in Latin America: The Spanish-Catholic tradition, a past affinity towards Nazism and far right ideology, solidarity with the Arabs and Palestinians, and rejection of Israel in the guise of politically correct anti- Zionism. It is important to

12 work with youth who dropped out of the education system and publics who are not knowledgeable about the Shoah.

Pablo Brenner, CEO, Collokia Innovation Consultant, Uruguay, stated that there needs to be a stronger strategy agiant web hate and the problem of “fake news”, and their should be an active attempt to promote the message of Israeli innovation.

Leandro Spett, Owner and Cartoonist, Speko Studio, Brazil, discussed the process of the demonization of Jews through Nazi-era imagery, and hos this delegitimization is being enacted now against Israel.

P. Valentin Goldie, Senior Professor, Catholic Seminar, Uruguay, spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue for defeating antisemitism, and of meetings inter- cultural that support a common, non-conflictual, future.