ADL chief Greenblatt drops out of Israeli antisemitism confab over far-right invitees
Previously scheduled speaker joins a growing list of figures who have withdrawn from Israeli government event to protest the inclusion of far-right European politicians
Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
The Anti-Defamation League confirmed Tuesday that CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has backed out of an upcoming Israeli conference on combating antisemitism, following the lead of other officials who are boycotting the event to protest the inclusion of far-right European politicians.
“In light of some of the recently announced participants at the Israeli government’s antisemitism conference, Jonathan decided last week that he would no longer be attending the event, and he notified the Israeli government about the decision after the weekend,” an ADL spokesperson said.
On Monday, EJewishPhilanthropy reported that Greenblatt’s name and photo were removed from the website of the conference, to be held in Jerusalem on March 26-27, where he was originally slated to deliver a keynote address. No explanation was given.
The removal came a day after former ADL head Abraham Foxman called out his successor for participating in the conference.
“Since the explosion of left-inspired antisemitism and anti-Israel hate in the last several years, the pseudo-Fascist right is trying to use the Jewish community as a platform, to demonstrate how legitimate and tolerant they are,” Foxman told Haaretz. “Israel and the Jewish community should not give them legitimacy.”
Many are concerned that participation in the conference helps provide legitimacy to a growing class of populist parties, many of whom have histories of racism and antisemitism.
Other people who have announced they will not attend the conference in Jerusalem next week include French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who had been slated as the event’s keynote speaker, British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, UK government adviser on antisemitism Lord John Mann, veteran academic and activist David Hirsh, German antisemitism czar Felix Klein, and German politician Volker Beck.
However, several high-profile attendees have confirmed that they will still attend, including Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy; Yemeni journalist and influencer Luai Ahmed; and human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
The conference guest list includes Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party founded by noted antisemite and Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen; Marion Marechal, a far-right French member of the European Parliament and Le Pen’s granddaughter; Hermann Tertsch, a far-right Spanish member of the European Parliament; Charlie Weimers of the far-right Sweden Democrats party; and Kinga Gál, of Hungary’s Fidesz party.
The conference will also feature many leading figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli has said that he sees Europe’s far-right parties as allies countering the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and antisemitism on the continent.
However, his position has drawn the ire of many European countries, who note that many of these parties have their own histories of antisemitism, Holocaust denial and racism.
Labor MK Gilad Kariv called on Chikli on Monday to rescind the invitations to the right-wing leaders, saying it “directly contradicts the positions and policies of the representative organizations of Jewish communities in those countries and in the international arena.”
The Times of Israel Community.