Aiming to salvage antisemitism confab, Herzog offers officials private meeting without far-right invitees

In an attempt to stem the tide of officials boycotting Israel’s upcoming conference on combating antisemitism in protest of the inclusion of far-right European politicians, President Isaac Herzog has offered a compromise: a private meeting with world Jewish leaders at his home the night before the main event, without the controversial far-right politicians.

While none of the people who have canceled their participation in the conference are expected to rejoin, some may attend this event, says a source involved with the planning.

“The people who need to be happy are happy with this plan,” the source says.

According to the website of the conference, to be held in Jerusalem on March 26-27, the event includes guided tours and an evening gala on Wednesday night, followed by a full-day conference at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma) on Thursday. The Wednesday night gala has now been reconceptualized as a private gathering for Jewish leaders only alongside — not as part of — the event.

Those who have pulled out of the confab include French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who had been slated as the event’s keynote speaker, as well as British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, UK government adviser on antisemitism Lord John Mann, veteran academic and activist David Hirsh, German antisemitism czar Felix Klein, and German politician Volker Beck. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CEO William Daroff is said to be weighing his final decision on whether he will attend.

The conference guest list includes controversial European right-wing politicians 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.