Global Forum for Combatting Antisemitism

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Biennial international conference organized by the Israeli government to combat antisemitism

Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism
Type International conference series
Logo
Founded
Founder(s)
Dissolved
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Status
Headquarters Jerusalem, Israel
Location
Area served
Services
Registration
Key people
Website
Remarks


Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (GFCA; Hebrew: הפורום הגלובלי למלחמה באנטישמיות) is a biennial international conference series organized by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assess the state of antisemitism worldwide and develop strategies to combat it.

History

The GFCA was established in 2000 by Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Michael Melchior. Although it did not hold its first conference until 2007, the creation of the International Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA) was sparked by the 2008 GFCA.[1]

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via its in-house Department for Combating Antisemitism, has been credited with establishing the forums. In the years since, the GFCA has been co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister in charge of world Jewish affairs (Minister for Diaspora Affairs) – “a move”, described by the GFCA, “that indicates the priority and gravity that successive governments of the State of Israel place on combating and eradicating global antisemitism.”[1]

The now-defunct GFCA website stated that the GFCA is a “worldwide alliance of statesmen, parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, legal experts, NGOs and scholars led by the State of Israel.”[1] It is stated that the GFCA was a necessity to confront the latest forms of antisemitism: “anti-Zionist and anti-Israel.”[1] An example of the new challenges that Israel and Jews face include “the delegitimization of the State of Israel” where “anti-Semites target the Jewish people through an attack on the ancient, yet current, national home of the Jewish people.”[1] This narrative is seen throughout the strategies that arise from the conferences and follows a line that often conflates criticisms of Israel and anti-Zionism with traditional and arguably more dangerous forms of antisemitism, primarily under the label of ‘new antisemitism’.[2]

Predecessors

Specific editions of the Forum

GFCA Resources

On the GFCA website (archived), there are links to pieces referring to resources and strategies to help debunk the apartheid analogy (https://web.archive.org/web/20110726111101/http://www.gfantisemitism.org/ABOUTUS/Pages/DebunkingtheApartheidAnalogy.aspx) and combat the Israel apartheid week (https://web.archive.org/web/20110726111622/http://www.gfantisemitism.org/aboutus/Pages/CombatingIsraelApartheidWeek.aspx). The resources repeat much of the rhetoric that is repeated at the GFCA conferences, including drawing links with antisemitism and equality in Israel.

Associated individuals and leadership

Key figures associated with the GFCA
Name Role/Association Notes
Natan Sharansky Founder Established the forum in 2000/2003; former Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs
Rabbi Michael Melchior Co-founder and early chair Deputy Foreign Minister and Minister for Diaspora and Social Affairs in the Barak government
Gideon Behar Ambassador and speaker Addressed conferences on behalf of the MFA
Ayelet Shaked Justice Minister Co-signed joint statements on countering online hate speech (2018 forum)
Yaakov Hagoel Chair, World Zionist Organization Participated in related events

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 About Us, Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism, archived via the Internet Archive on 6 March 2012 at https://web.archive.org/web/20120306202351/http://www.gfantisemitism.org/aboutus/Pages/AboutUs.aspx (accessed 21 December 2020).
  2. ↑ MFA, Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism to hold conference, 8 February 2007 (archived).
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