The Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (GFCA) is the premier
bi-annual gathering for assessing the state of Antisemitism globally, and
formulating effective forms of societal and governmental response. The GFCA is
an active coalition of public figures, political leaders, heads of civil
society, clergy, journalists, diplomats, educators and concerned citizens
dedicated to the advance of tolerance towards the other in public life and
defeat of Antisemitism and other forms of racial and ethnic hatred. The Forum
serves as an important meeting place for exchange of knowledge and for
formulating the global work plan for combatting Antisemitism.
The Global Forum this year will focus on two main themes:
·
The Oldest Hatred in the Newest
Vessels: Confronting Antisemitism and Hate Speech on the Internet and in Social
Media
The information
highway has proven an unprecedented tool for accessibility to knowledge, and
the advance of free expression and global interconnectedness; but it also
presents unique challenges to human dignity - in the form of unfiltered
cyberhate, both anti-Semitic and other forms of severe hate speech, delivered
ubiquitously to every multimedia device. How can we increase the decency of the
web without harming its essential freedom?
·
The Most Difficult Summer: Antisemitism
in Europe's Cities During the Gaza Crisis
The summer of
2014 saw an eruption of mass anti-Jewish protests and attacks in major European
capitals not seen in decades. Many Jews today feel limited in their freedom to
identify openly as Jews in their manner of dress or political expression. In
parts of Europe, Jewish religious practice is under legislative attack, and the
return of Jihadi fighters with EU citizenship marks a security crisis, for
Jewish communities first and foremost. Why
is this happening today in Europe? Is there a structural threat to Jewish life?
What steps can be taken by European leadership to defeat the new wave Antisemitism
in Europe?
The concluding day is devoted to the work of the twelve working
groups on the preparing and updating of the
Action Plan for Combatting Antisemitism 2015 and Beyond. The working
groups are organized around the following topics and can be joined by any of the
Forum participants: Holocaust Denial, Interfaith Dialogue as a Means of Repair,
Delegitimization and Anti-Zionism, Internet and New Media, Law and Enforcement,
Protection of Jewish Religious Practice, Tolerance on Campus, Antisemitism by
Global Region: Muslim and Arab World, Latin America, Former Soviet Union and
Eastern Europe, EU and Western Europe, and the Role of International
Organizations in Combating Antisemitism.
The 5th Global Forum will take place in the International
Conference Center in Jerusalem, and will open at 6pm on May 12th
with addresses by world leaders. For further information, please contact: global.forum@mfa.gov.il or visit: http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Conferences-Seminars/Pages/GFCA_4th_International_Conference_May_2013.aspx