Discussion at the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs - The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel together with Dr. Rachel Baratz, participated in the Committee’s deliberations, where he addressed the issue of the highly disturbing escalation of Antisemitism worldwide. Since October 7 (2023), there have been over 10,000 incidents of Antisemitism in the USA alone – the highest number ever recorded in any single year since monitoring started in 1979. Governments around the world are not doing enough to ensure the safety and sense of security of Diaspora Jewry. The State of Israel should support the Jewish communities and assist them in combating hatred and violence, because it is a safe haven for all Jews, wherever they are. Read the full report in Hebrew
The WZO has launched an online appeal to those injured in the Amsterdam ‘pogrom’ (orchestrated ambush and attacks on Israeli and Jewish fans after the UEFA league football game in Amsterdam), or anyone who witnessed it, to share material they filmed as well as photos and accounts of the incidents. The general public is welcome to respond via the World Zionist Organization’s Facebook page and submit documentation, even partial clips, to enable these to reach worldwide dissemination and thus raise awareness about the violent nature of the attacks.
Situation Assessment and Forward Planning – The escalating trend in the number of antisemitic incidents worldwide, together with extensive geopolitical changes, have become a cause for concern; similarly, they raise serious considerations about the future of the Jewish people in the Diaspora and their impact on those living in the State of Israel. In view of the situation, the World Zionist Organization, in conjunction with the Dahan Center at Bar Ilan University, decided to convene a joint think tank to evaluate the situation. The first meeting in this series took place on September 11, with attendance by representatives from the National Institutions, including the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Mr. Yaakov Hagoel; the Head of Department for Combating Antisemitism, Dr. Raheli Baratz; representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel, content experts, field specialists and representatives from Israel government ministries. This initial session covered an assessment of the situation and generated proposals for the directions of activity that will be necessary in the future.
On September 15, an online public conference was held in London, focusing on how to combat Antisemitism on social networks, with a view to empowering young people with the tools to confront antisemitic challenges they will encounter on social networks. The program included discussion of different facets and issues related to Antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the UK.
The joint JReady project with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization has launched a series of six online meetings addressing how to confront the upsurge of Antisemitism worldwide. The first session took place on September 19 and included a Conversation with Israel Channel 12 TV correspondent Elad Simchayoff, who spoke about the ‘Olympic Heights’ of Antisemitism worldwide in recent years, particularly in Europe, and its rocketing escalation since the October 7 events. He also engaged in a riveting dialogue with Jewish community leaders from Denmark, Austria and Belgium, where he heard firsthand about their own experiences of Antisemitism.
The 8200 Alumni Association (the IDF’s fabled cyber-unit) held a dual purpose conference at the Microsoft Israel offices, in conjunction with other organizations. First, to raise awareness to the technological challenges involved in combating online Antisemitism -and second, to create dynamic connections between entrepreneurs, investors, technology leaders, civil society organizations and academe, as well as government and diplomatic agencies. The Head of Department for Combating Antsiemitism and Enhancing Resilience, Dr Raheli Baratz, was the guest speaker at a session entitled, ‘Is Contemporary Antisemitism Identical to Antisemitism of the Past?,’ during which she addressed social networks as one of the crucial phenomena in the exponential growth of Antisemitism. Their dominance and prevalence have been the major contributory factors in its viral escalation due to their capacity to facilitate and significantly accelerate the dissemination of hate. The conference was attended by hundreds of participants, with contributions by other keynote speakers at the forefront of combating Antisemitism.
The Head of Department for Combating Antisemitism welcomed the special envoy from the UN University for Peace and Special Envoy on Antisemitism, Dr. David Fernández Puyana, on his first visit to Israel since October 7. During the visit, they met at the Israel Knesset with Members of Knesset across the political spectrum, so that the envoy might hear first-hand about educational programs focusing on combating hatred, and engage on the subject.
Special Launch Event in Conjunction with SHIFT (Women-led Impact Network) – The launch event took place at the National Institutions building in cooperation with the female members of the Executive, Dr. Raheli Baratz Rix, Ms. Marina Rozenberg Koritny and Ms. Tammy Gottlieb. The event was opened by Ms. Iris Stark CPA, who presented the importance of networking and developing connections to enhance women’s impact in the field of public diplomacy and combating Antisemitism. The Head of the Aliyah Promotion Department highlighted projects for developing women’s activities and training them as informed Zionists and influencers for Aliyah promotion. This was followed by a panel session comprising top international female entrepreneurs, who addressed how to navigate beyond the Echo Chamber walls.
The Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee welcomed the initiative, of The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, to create a dedicated project to commemorate Diaspora victims who lost their lives in acts of Antisemitism. Family members of Diaspora Jews who were murdered solely because they were Jewish attended the Committee in person. The project became an Israel government decision.
In recent years, and especially since the outbreak of the “Iron Swords” war, we have witnessed the disturbing escalation of both antisemitic rhetoric and Antisemitism in liberal and progressive circles, including among LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. Demands have even been heard that members of Jewish communities should choose between their support for Zionism and their place within the LGBTQ+ community. June is Gay Pride month in Israel and around the world, with parades taking place in many cities in a concerted call for equal rights. As part of its ongoing cooperation with ‘A Wider Bridge’ – the Zionist LGBTQ+ umbrella organization, working for equality, building stronger connections with Israel, and combating Antisemitism – the Department has participated in Gay Pride parades in the USA, with a view to helping reinforce Zionist Jewish LGBTQ+ members’ sense of security and belonging, both around the world, and especially in the USA. Zionist Jewish LGBTQ+ participants have joined the parades, where they proudly wave their inclusive Pride Flag bearing Zionist and Jewish symbols, which has been disseminated among Jewish communities in the USA.
The Head of Department for Combating Antisemitism and Enhancing Resilience received Argentina’s Special Representative for the Fight Against Antisemitism, Ms. Maria Fabiana Loguzzo, and Dr. Ariel Gelblung, Simon Wiesenthal Center Director for Latin America. The visit was an act of recognition toward the State of Israel, in all its diversity. The Special Representative visited Haifa, Daliyat El-Carmel and Usfiya, with a view to gaining hands-on insights into Israel’s multi-cultural diversity. She also toured Jerusalem sites holy to the three monotheistic religions and travelled to Re’im and Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel’s south-western border region, to see for herself the places where the atrocities took place; she also met with families of the hostages. The envoy attended various official ceremonies to mark Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzma’ut, including that conducted by the National Institutions. She concluded her visit at a meeting with the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and members of the World Zionist Organization Executive, during which they discussed potential avenues of cooperation in endeavors to combat Antisemitism.
A Round Table discussion on the subject of ‘Challenges, Boundaries and Limitations in Use of AI Technology to Combat Antisemitism,’ was organized in partnership with the Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges at Reichman University, Herzliya. The event featured presentations by a range of specialists from the legal, publicist, and regulatory domains as well as government ministries, and figures from social media, all of whom contributed different perspectives and offered food for thought on the issue of AI.
The conference was attended by 500 Jewish leaders from 38 countries and its distinguished guests, led by the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog, World Zionist Organization Chairman, Mr. Yaakov Hagoel, Vice-Chairmen Dr. Yizhar Hess and Mr. Gael Grunewald, the organization’s president, Ms. Tova Dorfman, The Jewish Agency Executive Chairman Doron Almog and The Jewish Agency Chairman of the Board of Governors Mark Wilf. Other key figures included the IDF Spokesperson, a number of field leaders in Hasbara (Public Diplomacy), as well as military and security experts. The special conference convened at Binyanei Hauma (Jerusalem Convention Center.) On the first day, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on combating Antisemitism and the future of the Diaspora Jewish world. The second day was devoted to fact-finding tours of Jerusalem and southern Israel. The first group opened their program at the National Memorial Center on Mount Herzl, continuing with a visit to the new Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus. The second group visited Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Beeri in the Gaza border region, where they were joined by kibbutz residents for an explanatory tour and experienced hands-on exposure to the events and horrific scenarios of the black Shabbat of October 7. The day closed with an emotional, close-up dialogue with survivors from the Nova Music Festival.
An encounter was organized at the National Institutions building with Professor Leonard Saxe, Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, a senior scholar whose recent research includes the impact of October 7 on students on college campuses. His presentation included a panel of speakers from various campuses.
On February 19, in conjunction with the IDI (Israel Democracy Institute), an online lecture was organized via Zoom on the state of Antisemitism around the world, with a view to providing university students both the knowledge and a platform to promote public diplomacy in countries around the world. Dozens of students attended from many countries and data sets were presented about Antisemitism and its dramatic upsurge in the recent period. Among the numerous questions answered were: “How does one define Antisemitism?”, “How is the boycott of Israeli products antisemitic?”, and “Why is the call ‘from the river to the sea’ antisemitic?” The event proved an important opportunity to create a direct connection with young students around the world.
A meeting took place in which we discussed the sharp increase of anti-Semitism in Europe. The alarming data was presented among several countries, including the United Kingdom, where there was a 500% increase in anti-Semitism, France where there were three times more anti-Semitic incidents than last year, Germany which saw an increase of 490% in the number of anti-Semitic incidents and the Netherlands which experienced an 813% increase in the amount of reports on anti-Semitic incidents.
Surveillance data and the collection of anti-Semitic materials indicate a worrying picture in many countries, including Canada. Therefore, a meeting was arranged with the Canadian ambassador and the person in charge of anti-Semitism in the Canadian government, in which the alarming data was presented: an 800% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Canada. Some of the main incidents included shooting at Jewish schools, a Molotov cocktail thrown at a synagogue, vandalism of a truck owned by a Jewish-owned cafe and more.
A pamphlet was produced for members of the Knesset, which focuses on major anti-Semitic events in various countries around the world since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war. Here is the pamphlet:
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The World Zionist Organization Monitors Anti-Semitic Activities Around the World
Following the massacres on October 7th and the outbreak of the war, it was found that there is a hundreds percent increase in anti-Semitic occurrences worldwide. As a part of the advocacy for the fight against anti-Semitism, the following activities (among others) will take place:
'We are Here for You' - Since the massacre on October 7th, there has been a 500% increase in anti-Semitism in Europe and the US. Therefore, there is a need for support and tools to deal with anti-Semitism worldwide. If you need support or guidance in your community, contact us by email - To send an email, click here.
