Despite far-right lineup, government hopes antisemitism confab will avoid blowup

Ten months after a government conference on combating antisemitism was panned by Jewish leaders due to its inclusion of far-right European politicians, the second annual event appears set to face renewed controversy.

Organized by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, the January 27 conference — entitled Generation Truth and set to take place in Jerusalem — will feature speakers from nationalist parties in Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden and Brazil, along with thinkers and influencers associated with conservative causes.

Many high-ranking Jewish community leaders chose to boycott the March 2025 event after learning that members of those parties, which have faced their own allegations of racism and antisemitism, would be present.

Still, a source within the Diaspora Affairs Ministry told The Times of Israel that participants in this year’s conference will be more “mainstream,” and less backlash is expected.

“Israel has a lot of friends, and we have to know how to open doors to them,” the source said. “The fact that people say someone is extreme doesn’t make them an antisemite. We only invited people who have shown through their actions that they are 100 percent committed to fighting antisemitism.”

“There might be some criticism” over the guest list, but there hasn’t been the same kind of outrage from Jewish leaders as last year, the source said.

Speakers listed on the website for the second annual conference at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center include far-right-wing politicians Santiago Abascal, president of Spain’s Vox party; Fabrice Leggeri of France’s National Rally party; Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats; Sam van Rooy of Belgium’s Vlaams Belang party; and Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro, sons of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

Other political figures from the right include former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Members of US President Donald Trump’s administration, whose names have yet to be revealed, will also participate, the ministry source said.

Among influencers and thought leaders set to appear are author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, UK legal advocate Natasha Hausdorf, Pastor Rob McCoy, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, and former Israeli contestant to Miss Universe Noa Cochva.

Last year, Jewish leaders such as Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis were among those who canceled their participation in the confab to protest the presence of politicians like Jordan Bardella, president of the French National Rally party, which was founded by noted antisemite and Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen.

That caused a firestorm that was only doused when President Isaac Herzog offered a private meeting with world Jewish leaders as a compromise.

It was unclear which, if any, of the more mainstream Jewish leaders would attend next year’s conference.

The conference is being held as a growing class of populist parties, many with histories of antisemitism, are rapidly gaining popularity in Europe and elsewhere.

Jewish leaders expressed concern last year that participation in the conference gave “the pseudo-Fascist right… a platform to demonstrate how legitimate and tolerant they are,” as former ADL head Abraham Foxman phrased it at the time.

This year, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry exercised much greater care when extending invitations, the source said.

“This isn’t an open right-wing festival,” the source said. “If someone has a problematic history, we’re not going to invite him. If a party has a history of Nazism and they won’t denounce it, or if they won’t commit to assuring things like freedom of religion and rights to kosher slaughter, we’re not going to be affiliated with them.”

This year’s conference will feature “high-end experts who are paying a huge price for fighting hatred,” and not just “the same Jewish leaders speaking again,” the source said.

“We have very prominent Jewish leaders and heads of organizations coming and speaking,” the source said. “We’ll probably get some criticism, because there has been controversy ever since this government was elected, but this conference will be on a much higher level than last year.”