JNS
With global antisemitism on the rise since Oct. 7, Israeli and Jewish leaders are calling for a unified strategy to counter the alarming trend.
Israeli lawmakers and Jewish leaders convened at the Knesset Committee on Immigration, Absorption and Foreign Affairs on Tuesday to discuss the surge in global antisemitism following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and to coordinate response strategies.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, attended the meetings and reported a dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide.
"The ADL has processed over 10,000 anti-Jewish acts in the United States in the 12 months following Oct. 7, a 200% increase compared to the previous year. In Argentina, incidents spiked by 600%, in Australia by 738%, and in France by more than 1,000%," he said.
Greenblatt announced that the ADL would release an extensive study on global antisemitic attitudes in the coming days.
"The data is jaw-dropping," he told the committee.
Greenblatt told JNS he is in Israel to meet with political officials and to engage with the Druze community as part of a new ADL joint initiative with the Druze Religious Council and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
He added that South Africa and other countries "use antisemitism to attack their enemies and undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel. Israel must care about global antisemitism, not just because it cares about the well-being of Jews worldwide, but because it threatens Israel itself."
The J7 initiative and the role of education
As a partial remedy to the global rise in antisemitism, Greenblatt introduced the J7 initiative. Modeled on the G7, it connects the seven largest Western Diaspora Jewish communities: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Argentina and Australia.
"The infosphere is the eighth front in this war," Greenblatt said. "This is urgent because the next war will be decided based on how Israel and its allies perform online as much as offline."
Committee chair and Knesset member Oded Forer suggested that the initiative expand to include Israel, stressing the need for unified action between both the Israeli government and dedicated NGOs.
"This is a problem that the government of Israel needs to address," Forer said.
Greenblatt agreed, saying “despite the challenges, there are reasons for optimism. We need to find creative and innovative solutions."
Antisemitism, he continued, "won’t be solved by simply throwing money at the problem or by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit issuing updated talking points. We need to engage the silent majority of people and rally them in our defense."
Strengthening Jewish communities and security measures
Aish CMO Jamie Geller addressed internal challenges, stressing the importance of strengthening Jewish identity and community attachment.
"We have a responsibility to educate every Jew and improve their sense of Jewish self-worth. Seventy percent of North American Jews are unaffiliated, leaving them uneducated, isolated and vulnerable to antisemitism," Geller said.
She emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive digital presence across all platforms, with education at the forefront of combating antisemitism.
"We need to be everywhere—on gaming platforms, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn—wherever people are confronted with antisemitism, we need to be there to help. Education has to be the first line of defense because, without it, most Jews will be unable to stand up and be proud. But if we educate and empower them, they can become soldiers in the fight," she said.
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli reiterated Geller’s point: "Without Jewish identity, we cannot fight antisemitism."
Jewish Agency chairman Yaakov Hagoel called to strengthen Jewish communities internally while maintaining pressure on foreign governments to ensure their security.
"The safety of Jews in the Diaspora rests with the governments of their host countries. We must demand that they educate against antisemitism, and if education fails, laws must be enacted to prevent it. If that doesn’t work, local governments need to protect Jewish communities. Israel’s role is to empower Jewish communities from within, teaching resilience and rebuilding their sense of security," he said.
Shira Hutt, executive vice president of the Federations of North America, reported that security measures instituted by 146 Jewish Federations have been effective in combating local antisemitism. She said while these measures have been "extremely costly," they have proven successful in places like New Orleans and Colorado, and at the University of Rochester in New York.
Planning ahead and new legislation
"We need a strategy for how all our organizations work together to combat antisemitism. It's not enough to do good work in isolated corners; we need a united front," World Union of Jewish Students CEO Shelly Wolkovitz told the committee.
She urged the creation of a unified strategy, especially ahead of dates known for surges in antisemitic violence, such as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January, Israeli Independence Day in the spring, Apartheid Week on some American college campuses and Nakba Day, timed to the anniversary of the creation of modern-day Israel on May 14, 1948. Forer agreed to make an effort to address this.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry representative outlined two primary battlegrounds: digital spaces and university campuses, detailing a long-term strategy to address both arenas and fight the normalization of antisemitism.
Chikli introduced several new initiatives, including a research center tracking funding sources of anti-Israel protests.
Forer concluded the meeting by announcing proposed legislation to criminalize the denial of the Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
He reiterated the need for coordinated action between the Israeli government and NGOs to combat online hate, strengthen Jewish communities and address antisemitism worldwide. He also stressed the importance of focusing not just on North and South America but on Eastern European nations as well.
