ADL chief no longer scheduled to speak at Israeli confab on fighting antisemitism

After multiple officials backed out of an upcoming Israeli conference on combating antisemitism to protest the inclusion of far-right European politicians, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has been removed from the event’s schedule, raising speculation that he has also dropped out.

EJewishPhilanthropy reports that after Greenblatt was originally slated to deliver a keynote address, his name was removed yesterday, when British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, UK government adviser on antisemitism Lord John Mann and veteran academic and activist David Hirsh announced they would not attend the conference. Several French and German figures have also said they will no longer attend.

The ADL and the Diaspora Ministry, which is organizing the conference, declines to comment on the removal of Greenblatt’s name.

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.

Meanwhile, Natan Sharansky, currently serving as the chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, said he would attend the conference.

“For many years I’ve been stubborn and continue to insist even today that it’s important that the fight against antisemitism will include all political camps – from left to right,” Sharansky wrote on Facebook. “Those who continue to hold onto their antisemitic views obviously have no place in conferences against antisemitism. However, those who claim to have changed their views towards Jews certainly deserve to be heard.”

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.