Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism 2007

First large international conference of the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism, held at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on 11–12 February 2007

Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism 2007
Type	Conference
Start date	11 February 2007
End date	12 February 2007
Location	Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem
Participants	160 participants, including 80 from abroad, according to Tzipi Livni; speakers included Livni, Irwin Cotler, John Mann and Malcolm Hoenlein
Organisers	Ministry of Foreign Affairs; conference chair Aviva Raz Shechter

The Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism 2007 was the first large international conference of the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on 11–12 February 2007. It was opened by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chaired by Aviva Raz Shechter. Livni told 160 participants, including 80 from abroad, that "We must focus on promoting the Global Forum as a permanent and world encompassing mechanism". Irwin Cotler closed the meeting, saying "The new anti-Semitism marches under the guise of anti-racism".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later numbered this meeting as the first of the Forum's "large International Conference" series, followed by the gatherings of 2008 and 2009.

Date

The conference opened on 11 February 2007 and ended on 12 February 2007. It was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.

Organisers

The conference was organised by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Diplomacy.co.il later described Aviva Raz Shechter, director of the ministry's Department for Combating Antisemitism, as "the initiator and Chair of the First Conference of the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism convened in 2007".

Attendees

In her opening address, Tzipi Livni welcomed "the 160 participants, including 80 participants from abroad". Ynetnews likewise reported that 160 participants from Israel and around the world took part, and that Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, also spoke.

The closing session, as reported by Ynetnews, included Irwin Cotler, described as Canada's former justice minister; British MP John Mann, chairman of the parliamentary committee against anti-Semitism in the UK; and Benedikt Haller, the German ambassador.

Details

Opening address

Livni told the conference: "The fact that so many heads of major organizations, leaders of communities, intellectuals and experts in the field are here today, demonstrates the feeling of urgency that we all share. I am sure that we all share a sense of mission – that something must be done immediately." She said the conference was "not intended just for an exchange of theoretical opinions" but was meant "to produce new, innovative and practical initiatives". Ynetnews quoted her as saying: "Anti-Semitism is still very much alive. As the home of the Jewish people, this is a fight that should be led by Israel."

Livni said the meeting should "focus on practical and concrete steps" and "focus on promoting the Global Forum as a permanent and world encompassing mechanism", in order to map needs and priorities, identify areas for action, establish programmes and "achieve long lasting results". Among the topics she suggested were "elevating the issue of fighting global anti-Semitism to a central place of priority – in Israeli and international foreign policy", a public campaign against Iran, and "defining distinctive strategies for classical anti-Semitism and the new modern anti-Semitism". She said: "We are witnessing new types of cooperation between the racist right, radical left and Jihadist Muslims in this campaign."

Hoenlein, according to Ynetnews, said that "a society is not measured by whether or not it has anti-Semitism, but by how its leaders deal with it", and that "The greatest danger to the Jews is the apathy and indifference occurring around then".

Closing session

Ynetnews reported that Cotler, in "a passionate speech delivered to conclude the two-day Global Forum Against Anti-Semitism", declared: "The new anti-Semitism marches under the guise of anti-racism." He cited "state-sanctioned incitement to genocide", of which he said the "epicenter" was "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran", and called on diplomats to begin "a series of diplomatic, legal, and public initiatives to hold Ahmadinejad to account". He identified "political anti-Semitism" as "the denial of Israel's right to exist" and said: "When a Middle East has no room for Israel, no matter what its borders are, that is a true apartheid." He added: "It's time to unmask, expose... and take back the language."

Mann, according to the same report, said that he had "deliberately chose[n] non-Jews to take part in the committee" and that "We did not shy away from the difficult issues, such as anti-Semitism in the Muslim community, or the line between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism." He said: "We see anti-Semitism as an insult to all decent people."

See also

• Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism
• Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism 2008
• Hasbara timeline
• Timeline of initiatives on Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism