UK Chief Rabbi pulls out of Israel’s anti-Semitism conference over far-right speakers
UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has withdrawn from Israel’s International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism after learning that several far-right populist politicians would be in attendance, his office has confirmed to the Jerusalem Post. His decision follows similar withdrawals by UK anti-Semitism adviser Lord John Mann and Goldsmiths University Professor David Hirsh, who also declined to participate.
The conference, organised by Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, has drawn criticism for inviting controversial right-wing figures, including French far-right leader Jordan Bardella, European Parliament Member Marion Maréchal, and Spanish MEP Hermann Tertsch.
“The quality of some of the opposition politicians speaking is not sufficiently high enough to entice me from competing priorities,” Mann told the Jewish News. “There is nothing for the UK to learn about tackling anti-Semitism from some of these characters.”
Hirsh explained his withdrawal in similar fashion, saying, “I was due to participate in the International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism, organised by the Israeli Diaspora Ministry on 26 and 27 March, but I have now reluctantly decided to pull out. There are too many far-right speakers on the agenda who associate themselves with anti-democratic and anti-egalitarian movements.”
He added that, “It is clear to me that anti-democratic thinking is fertile ground for anti-Semitism and that the best way to undermine anti-Semitism is to support democratic thinking, movements and states.”
According to the Times of Israel, Labour Knesset Member Gilad Kariv has urged Chikli to revoke the invitations to far-right leaders, arguing that their participation “directly contradicts the positions and policies of the representative organisations of Jewish communities in those countries and in the international arena.”
The conference is set to feature high-profile figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Argentine President Javier Milei and former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
However, former Anti-Defamation League head Abraham Foxman has criticised his successor, Jonathan Greenblatt, for agreeing to attend the event.
“Since the explosion of left-inspired anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hate in the last several years, the pseudo-Fascist right is trying to use the Jewish community as a platform, to demonstrate how legitimate and tolerant they are,” Foxman told Haaretz. “Israel and the Jewish community should not give them legitimacy.”
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