March 11th 2024 - April 1st 2024
- Diplomacy Program Activities Towards Combating Antisemitism – The Head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and Enhancing Resilience participated at several conferences focusing on combating Antisemitism, in conjunction with the World Zionist Organization’s activities and programs in this sphere of engagement.
- Encounter with hundreds of Maccabi movement members – The Head of Department participated in the Shabbat movement retreat at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, Miami.
- Lecture at the Jewish community in Wilton Manors, Fl. – This offered an opportunity to present the community with an update and overview of the status of Antisemitism since October 7, including videos covering incidents reported for 2023, followed by a lively dialogue with members of the community.
- JLI Leadership Conference ‘Forum Shaping the Future of Our Judaism’ – During the conference, the Head of Department moderated a panel on combating Antisemitism, together with former US ambassadors to the European Union, Denmark, the Netherlands, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. The panelists were requested to present their respective viewpoints on Israel, international diplomacy and Antisemitism. Their discussion also addressed the prevalence of Antisemitism on university and college campuses in the USA, the involvement of Arab states with the pro-Palestinian segment on campus, the calls to boycott Israeli and American products since October 7, and diplomatic activity to resolve the release of the hostages.
- Panel on Antisemitism, Khan Theater, Jerusalem – The Head of Department took part in a panel debate at the Khan Theater in Jerusalem after the performance of Dreyfus, a play addressing the Jewish community’s involvement in the saga, which reflected on whether history could be repeated today.
- ‘Never Again Is Now’ Conference, New York, USA – Participation at the annual ADL conference.
- Ynet Opinion Column – This appeared following British director Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar acceptance speech (for his film The Zone of Interest), where he claimed that “The Holocaust was hijacked by an occupation...” He won the Oscar for his Holocaust film, but the Holocaust his people experienced on (ynetnews.com)
February 19th 2024 - March 11th 2024
World Zionist Organization Jewish People Challenges Conference
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.
Symposium on the College Campus Situation
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.
Lecture to Non-Jewish Students about Aliyah and Antisemitism
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.
Nov 29th 2023 - December 5th 2023
Meeting with Keren Hayesod's Solidarity Delegation
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.
Meeting with the Canadian Embassy
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.
Status of Anti-Semitic Events for Members of the Knesset
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:
- Advocacy to the European Parliament at the EJA conference in Croatia.
- A warning campaign was conducted in preparation for Hamas’s planned day of rage, under the title: "Take Care of Yourselves and Stand by Us."
- Information campaigns for “Swords of Iron” are being organized.
- Interviews and articles are published on the topic of warfare and the fight against antisemitism.
- The Movement to Combat Anti-Semitism - The World Zionist Organization's is cooperating with the FOA organization to monitor and report anti-Semitic content that takes place online. This movement is among the only bodies in the world that reports on these contents daily and hourly in a variety of languages and social networks. In recent weeks, several webinars were held in Spanish, English and Hebrew in which hundreds of young men and women from all over the world were trained to monitor and report anti-Semitic content found online.
- Activities on the Night of Kristallnacht - On the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht and one month after the massacre, an invitation was sent to all communities in the Diaspora to light up synagogues around the world on the night between November 9th and 10th and pray for the safe return of the abductees and soldiers and raise awareness of growing anti-Semitism.
- Distribution of a Community Safety Video - In light of the increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the world, we must exercise caution and raise awareness for the safety of the Jewish and Israeli communities in the Diaspora. Therefore, two videos were released in English and French emphasizing the need to pay attention to the environment, suspicious objects and people, know how to keep a proper distance and report incidents.
- Trainings and Lectures on the Fight Against Anti-Semitism- The World Zionist Organization is working to create trainings and lectures on the subject of the struggle against anti-Semitism and raising awareness of the struggle around the world. This is done with the understanding that we all need to take responsibility and be active in informing about the issues that are current and relevant today, whether on social networks or among the general public.
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'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.
