JERUSALEM—The World Jewish Congress’ Israel Council of Foreign Relations held a dialogue session on Tuesday evening in Jerusalem featuring Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life. In her role, Von Schnurbein is tasked with developing and spearheading the Commissions efforts to take on Jew hatred.
The audience, comprising academics, members of the diplomatic community in Israel, and Jewish leaders, heard from Von Schnurbein about the genesis of the EU’s European-wide strategy to fight antisemitism and foster Jewish life which includes more than one hundred initiatives set to be implemented before the year 2030.
At the core of the strategy is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition on antisemitism which serves as the basis for determining when discourse crosses into the realm of hate speech. The IHRA Plenary is currently meeting in Dubrovnik as Croatia takes over the presidency of the body.
The EU Commission’s Coordinator also chairs the WJC’s Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum which meets regularly to serve as a unifying body for national efforts and national strategies.
About The Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR):
The ICFR, headed by Dan Meridor, is a non-partisan forum for the study and debate of foreign policy operating under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress. It is a multidisciplinary institution, established on the model of the New York Council on Foreign Relations and the British Chatham House. It aspires to stimulate public awareness of world events and insightful discussion of foreign policy issues, particularly regarding Israel, international Jewish affairs and the Middle East, and serves as a forum for the exchange of perspectives in the diplomatic, academic, and media communities. The ICFR cooperates with other councils or institutes of international affairs in various parts of the world.
