Herzog tells Jewish leaders antisemitism ‘surged into a terrifying threat’ post-Oct. 7
Meet comes on eve of controversial Israeli conference; sources say those in attendance were not focused on the invitations of far-right European politicians and subsequent boycotts
Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
President Isaac Herzog told Jewish leaders gathered at his residence on Wednesday that since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, antisemitism has “surged into a terrifying threat” and said Jewish unity was vital to counter this.
“Since October 7, this hatred has surged into a terrifying threat—from the streets of Europe to the campuses of North America. This is not just a relic of the past; it is being fueled, spread, and weaponized in real time,” Herzog said.
“Every country must take decisive action, using all legal, educational, and social tools to stamp out this age-old hatred and ensure the safety of its Jewish communities,” the president implored. “There can be no tolerance for intolerance.”
Beyond international action, Herzog also urged Jews to come together, a reference to the divisions abroad and the deep political schisms within Israel.
“At the same time, the Jewish community must stand united against this threat: Jewish unity is not just an idea; it is a living, breathing force, felt most deeply in our collective call to bring our hostages home,” Herzog said.
The meeting of Jewish leaders at his home came a day before a controversial antisemitism summit organized by the Israeli government, which is being boycotted by several prominent figures over the inclusion of far-right European politicians.
The meeting at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem was a compromise suggested by Herzog after tensions about the conference invitations had boiled over. The gala dinner on Wednesday night before the conference was reconfigured as a private gathering for Jewish leaders only, without the presence of the right-wing figures.
However, an official involved in the event, at Herzog’s residence, said that the focus of the evening had been on countering antisemitism and not the controversy or the boycotts.
Concern that the inclusion of members of right-wing parties from France, Spain, Sweden, and Hungary at the confab would help legitimize movements with histories of antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and racism was barely even mentioned, the source said.
Last week, several high-profile figures said they would withdraw from the event due to those politicians’ inclusion, among them Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, both originally slated to give keynote addresses, and British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Greenblatt instead sent a video addressing the invitation-only gathering of Jewish leaders remotely.
“There is no circumstance and no equation in which negating the right of the Jewish people to live safely in their one and only nation-state is not antisemitism,” Herzog said. “I say to you, Jewish leaders and activists – fight back! Don’t give up!”
Chikli echoed this.
“Today, the State of Israel, which went to war in self-defense following the mass massacres committed by Hamas on October 7, is accused of perpetrating genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. There is no crime against humanity that the State of Israel has not been and is not being accused of. This is the new face of the ancient blood libels.”
“We don’t need a diplomatic struggle against antisemitism; we need a full-scale war,” Chikli said. “To fight antisemitism, we need courageous leadership and resolute action.”
The meeting also featured a panel discussion about the challenges of the past year with several heads of Jewish communities, including Natan Sharansky and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff.
Guests at the Israeli government’s international conference on combating antisemitism at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center on Thursday include several far-right politicians, notably 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 include appearances by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman, among other global leaders.
Argentine President Javier Milei, originally slated to attend, was forced to cancel his visit to Israel to tend to domestic issues.
Herzog has said he will not take part in Thursday’s confab, although his photo still appears on the conference website.
High-profile attendees who have confirmed their attendance include Sharansky, Yemeni journalist and influencer Luai Ahmed, human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, US military expert John Spencer, Australian television presenter Erin Molan, and American actor Michael Rapaport.
