IAFI’S CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DAVID LESHNICK,

PARTICIPATES IN GLOBAL FORUM ON ANTI-SEMITISM

SPONSORED BY NATAN SHARANSKY

On January 28th and 29th, IAFI Israel Executive Director, David Leshnick attended the second gathering of the Global Forum on Anti Semitism in Jerusalem.  The Forum, founded and convened by Natan Sharansky, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, brought together international leaders to discuss the growing problem of global anti-Semitism, and to develop strategies to monitor and combat it.  Some of the salient points and presentations of the meeting were as follows. 

Israel’s Gallup Organization’s CEO Jacob Levy reported results of a poll taken in Europe. The poll illustrated that over the past three years, European media have focused on very negative messages about Israel, and have equated Zionism with racism and apartheid. 

Amnon Rubenstein, formerly Israeli Minister of Education, Professor Robert Wistrich (Hebrew University) and Abraham Cooper (Wiesenthal Center), also discussed a growing international perception that Jews do not support human rights, and are perpetuators of apartheid.

Michael Melchior, along with representatives of the World Jewish Congress in England, France, Italy and Germany, painted pictures of anti-Semitism in Europe, which they believe is fostered by anti-Israel Islamic populations.  They discussed recent attacks on synagogues, cemeteries, and individual Jews, which are occurring at an alarming frequency. European Jews have been organizing vigilante groups for protection and have been closely coordinating with police forces so that immediate action can be taken in the event of attacks.

Other notable speakers included: Susan Heller (ADL), who discussed an upcoming meeting in Berlin, in which ADL and other groups will attempt to pass a declaration against anti-Semitism; Bernard Lewis (Princeton) who gave a brief history of the rise of anti-Semitism in Islamic countries; Daniel Kurtzer (the US ambassador to Israel), who spoke about America's support for Israel; and Silvan Shalom (Israel's Foreign Minister), who discussed Israeli efforts to curb global anti-Semitism.

The group also focused on the growing anti-Semitic mood on international campuses, and discussed some of the successes that IAFI has had in bringing the boycott against Israeli scientists and academics to light. 

GLOBAL FORUM JANUARY 2004 PLENARY MEETING CONCLUDING STATEMENT

1. The Global Forum Against Anti-Semitism, composed of Jewish leaders and experts from around the world engaged in the fight against anti-Semitism, met today (29.01.04) in Jerusalem for the second time -- at the initiative, and under the chairmanship, of the Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs in the Government of Israel, Natan Sharansky.

2. The Global Forum is cognizant of the tragic irony that as it was meeting, an abhorrent attack was perpetrated against Jews just a few blocks away – another Palestinian terrorist outrage stemming from the anti-Semitism, hatred and violence taught and inculcated in the Palestinian Authority. The Global Forum notes that such attacks do not occur in a vacuum. The indifference of too many citizens of the world in the face of these acts of violence against Jews and Israelis contributes, sadly, to their continuation.

3. In unanimous consensus, the Global Forum affirms that criticism of Israel’s policies and actions legitimately falls within the bounds of free expression integral to democratic society. However, when that criticism involves the application of gross political and diplomatic double standards against the State of Israel, or invokes demonizing terminology against Israel or Zionism, or denies Israel the fundamental right to exist -- that criticism cannot be regarded as legitimate; rather it clearly constitutes anti-Semitism and should be labeled as such.

4. The Global Forum took note of the dangerous rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, reflected in both a sharp increase of attacks against Jews and in the use of extremist, demonizing language in public discourse regarding Israel. The Forum and its member organizations resolve to intensify their efforts, together with European political leadership, aimed at vigorously countering anti-Semitism in Europe. The Forum notes with satisfaction the positive cooperation of an increasing number of European leaders in countering anti-Semitism.

5. The Global Forum took note of the ominous escalation and spread of radical Islamist and Arab anti-Semitism, including the transferal of such anti-Semitism to the Western world. The Forum resolves to intensify efforts to check this flow of hate from the Islamic world into Western societies by enlisting Western legal systems, regulatory agencies and all other tools available in democratic countries.

6. The Global Forum takes favorable note of the positive efforts underway to work more closely with leaders in the Christian world in combating anti-Semitism, and resolves to increase these efforts with Christians and all other faiths.

7. The Forum and its member agencies resolve to make a concerted effort at impacting on, and positively influencing, the NGO world.

8. The Global Forum resolves to intensify coordination among its constituent members, especially with regard to diplomatic, government-level and juridical initiatives.

9. The Global Forum resolves to support the plans to launch a global effort at obtaining parliamentary resolutions against anti-Semitism, in addition to similar resolutions in the UN, EU, OSCE and other international groupings, including the adoption of the “Irish” resolution against anti-Semitism at the UN.

 10. The Global Forum resolves to meet again in six months time, with careful consideration as to alternative formats for the conduct of the meeting, and with a view to including prominent and friendly non-Jews in the proceedings and discussions.