Right-wing politics take center stage at Israel’s controversial antisemitism confab

There was no shortage of controversy at the Israeli government’s first-ever international conference on combating antisemitism Thursday in Jerusalem, as mostly right-wing speakers hurled scathing attacks at left-wing organizations and news outlets that they claimed have been enabling antisemitism.

The confab at the International Convention Center was thrown into the global spotlight last week after several high-profile Jewish leaders said they would not attend due to the inclusion of far-right European politicians whose parties have long faced their own allegations of antisemitism.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, whose office organized the confab, opened with a word to the far-right European politicians about the uproar surrounding their participation in the event.

“I apologize for the lies spread against you by those who slander the State of Israel worldwide,” Chikli said, before launching into a tirade accusing Israel’s left-wing Haaretz newspaper of manufacturing the controversy. Calling the outlet a “beacon of lies and anti-Zionist propaganda,” he insisted that “Haaretz and others like them do not represent the Jewish people.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy — both originally slated to give keynote addresses — along with British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, were among those who canceled their participation in the event due to concerns that the inclusion of far-right lawmakers would legitimize their movements that have long histories of antisemitism, Holocaust denial and racism.

As a compromise aimed at easing tensions, President Isaac Herzog hosted Jewish leaders for a private gathering Wednesday night before the conference, without the presence of the right-wing figures.

Speaking to journalists after the conference, Chikli defended his decision to invite the far-right European parliament members, saying he had spoken at length with each one regarding their beliefs about Israel.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Chikli said, noting that Marine Le Pen of France’s National Union party — whose leader Jordan Bardella attended the confab — had shown genuine concern for the French Jewish community. Representatives from Germany’s AFD party were not invited due to radical voices within, despite its pro-Israel stance, Chikli said.

Hermann Tertsch, member of the European Parliament for Spain’s hard-right Vox party, told The Times of Israel that he felt compelled to participate in the confab despite the controversies.

“I’m here because the fight against antisemitism is a very important question that affects us all,” Tertsch said, noting that he had been honored by the Jewish community of Madrid for his work fighting antisemitism. “We are fighting a very serious fight, and what we are doing is annoying other parties that don’t see the danger.”

PM: Many thought Israel on verge of extinction

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the conference on Thursday, calling antisemitism a “disease” threatening all civilized societies.

Before the Holocaust, Netanyahu said, many people understood that growing European antisemitism would destroy not only Jewry but also the surrounding civilizations.

“Today we issue a similar warning — the fate of free societies is tied to their willingness to fight the scourge of antisemitism.”

Now, Netanyahu said, this hatred has reemerged in the form of Hamas and radical Islam in Yemen, Iran, Lebanon and Gaza. And unlike during the Holocaust, he added, Jews now have an army to defend themselves and fight back.

“On October 7th, we were surprised,” Netanyahu said. “We had a terrible, terrible massacre. And many believed that Israel was on the verge of extinction. [Former Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah put it very clearly. He said: “The Jewish state, the Jewish army – they’re no more than a spider’s web,” and it could be easily swept aside.”

“Well, a year and a half later, Nasrallah is gone,” Netanyahu continued. “[Former] Hamas chairman Ismail] Haniyeh is gone. [Former Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is gone. [Former Syrian President Bashar] Assad is gone. We have battered Hamas. We brought Hezbollah to its knees. We destroyed the remnants of Syria’s army. We hit the Houthis with the great help of our American allies. And we exposed Iran’s vulnerability.”

Silence is complicity

At a subsequent panel entitled “Don’t confuse me with the facts,” speakers accused left-wing movements of fanning the flames of antisemitism by peddling falsehoods.

Far-right Historian Gadi Taub criticized progressive movements in Israel for undermining Zionism, doubling down on Chikli’s attack on Haaretz — his former employer — saying it “systematically undermines Zionism.”

Jordan Bardella, head of France’s far-right National Union party, described his movement as “the best shield for our Jewish compatriots.” He said France must work with Israel to fight against antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition.

“In the face of the disturbing resurgence of anti-Jewish hatred throughout Europe and the world, and in the face of terrorism that intends to destroy our lives and our values, we French believe more than ever that our nations must unite their voices and join forces in the fight,” he said.

“I am aware of the symbolic importance of my invitation here, and the responsibility of my party… in the war against barbarism, which is also our war,” he added.

Former president of Paraguay Horacio Cartes told the audience that silence in the face of antisemitism “is not neutrality, but complicity.”

Cartes, who is sanctioned by the US for alleged ties with Hezbollah, as well as corruption, was invited to the confab by the Prime Minister’s Office, according to a report in Haaretz.

Another foreign leader, Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, attended the conference but exited briefly after a court in Bosnia issued an international warrant for his arrest due to his calls for the Serb-run half of Bosnia to secede from the rest of the country.

Dodik left the conference voluntarily and then later returned, event organizers said. As a signatory to the European Convention on Extradition, Israel would be obligated to extradite citizens wanted in other countries. It is not clear whether Bosnia issued an extradition request to Israel during the event.