WJC gather antisemitism envoys in Jerusalem

Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism forum, on 26 and 27 April 2022

The seventh WJC International Meeting of special envoys & coordinators combatting antisemitism (SECCA) gathered in Jerusalem for a unique meeting coinciding with Holocaust Remembrance Day. The meeting, held in cooperation with the ministry of foreign affairs of Israel and the European Commission, brought together dozens of global officials tasked with fighting Jew hatred.

Many were in Israel for their first time. Notably, the meeting included participants from as far as Argentina, Brazil, and Canada.

The SECCA delegation began with a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum and memorial. There, the group met with Yad Vashem Chair, Dani Dayan, to discuss their mission as a living testament to the victims of the Holocaust.

At the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working meetings were focused on some of the most pressing matters facing Jews. The assembled envoys discussed current conflicts, the distortion of Holocaust narratives, and the progress made on national and organizational action plans to fight antisemitism.

At a dinner hosted by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, renowned historian and Holocaust survivor Prof. Yehuda Bauer delivered moving remarks detailing the longevity and insidious nature of historic antisemitism. The audience, comprising ambassadors, Israeli dignitaries, and the antisemitism envoys.

The delegation joined two Holocaust memorial events while in Jerusalem. The first, at the ministry of foreign affairs, recognized righteous diplomats that saved Jews from the clutches of the Nazis. There, the envoys and their nation’s ambassadors laid roses at a monument honoring their brave predecessors.

The delegation ended where it began, back at Yad Vashem for an emotional ceremony with Israel’s President, Prime Minister, Holocaust survivors, and other representatives of civil society. The survivors and their children lit six torches in memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and shared their powerful stories.

SECCA officials have been described as some of the most important actors in the fight against antisemitism. The seventh meeting solidified the network between these officials and provided a platform for better allyship.

To learn more about our SECCA Forum click here.