Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked on stage in Jerusalem last night with a warning and a challenge, saying a “world war Jew” ideology is now targeting the Jewish people and the Western world at large.
“They agree on one thing: world war Jew," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "To conduct the war first against the Jews and against the Jewish state.”
Netanyahu spoke Monday night at a gala marking the opening of the Second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, a two-day event bringing hundreds of leaders, lawmakers, diplomats, and civil society figures from around the world to Jerusalem.
The conference, initiated by Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, comes as Jewish communities worldwide face the highest levels of antisemitism seen since the Holocaust. Events continued Tuesday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with panels and closed sessions at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.
At the heart of Monday night’s gala was a special government award presented to Leo Terrell, senior counsel and chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
“You are fighting with your soul, with all your heart," said Minister Amichai Chikli. "We can feel your heart beating with us.”
Terrell, speaking at a press conference ahead of the ceremony, said his commitment to the fight is both personal and long term.
“Fighting antisemitism is not a Jewish issue," Terrell said. "It's not an American issue, it's a Western civilization issue.”
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
Terrell, a civil rights attorney for more than three decades, said he was asked by U.S. President Donald Trump to leave Fox News and take on the role, with a clear mandate to use every legal tool available to combat antisemitism.
In response to a question from ILTV about the line between free speech and incitement, Terrell stressed that words become a federal issue when they turn into action.
“Speech alone without criminal or misconduct is not illegal," Terrell stressed. "But if a crime is committed with words and conduct, the Trump administration will take the appropriate legal action.”
The conference was not just about statements, but about building connections between countries dealing with similar threats.
Participants met earlier in the day at the Knesset, discussing legislation, education, foreign interference, and the need for coordinated responses to incitement and violence.
“To connect leaders from Cyprus to Romania, Albania, Italy, Canada, Australia, all together, and we are building networks," Chikli added.
Among the voices was the new World Jewish Congress Israel president Sylvan Adams, who warned that today’s antisemitism is organized, well funded, and being driven by hostile foreign actors.
“We have these deep, nefarious forces very skillfully using social media, and we have a real problem with the youthful cohort that use social media for their information," Adams said.
Others said the very fact that so many leaders gathered in Jerusalem was a sign of momentum.
“It’s kind of the worst nightmare for the antisemites around the world because we're sitting together, conspiring together for good," noted Johnnie Moore, the former director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
As the conference continued on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the message from Israel was both sobering and forward looking.