Global Forum for Combatting Antisemitism
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 | |
| Registration ID | |
| 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
- Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism (CFCA), established 2000
- Israel Government Monitoring Forum on Antisemitism (Interministerial Forum) established 1988.
- Project for the Study of Anti-Semitism at Tel Aviv University established 1991-2.
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
| 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
- Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism
- International Coalition for Combating Antisemitism
- Natan Sharansky
- Michael Melchior
Notes
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ MFA, Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism to hold conference, 8 February 2007 (archived).