DUBLIN, 14 October 2026 — Jewish community leaders from across the world joined government envoys, representatives from international organizations, and technology company executives in Dublin for the 15th meeting of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum, organized by the World Jewish Congress in partnership with the European Commission, and convened as an Associated Event under Ireland’s rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
WJC officials together with community and Jewish organizational leaders also met with Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin.
The gathering, which included visits to the European headquarters of Tik Tok and Meta, brought dozens of representatives of WJC-affiliated Jewish communities and organizations together with 39 government delegates from 28 countries and representatives from seven multilateral institutions.
Against a backdrop of mounting pressure on Jewish communities globally, participants focused on practical responses to antisemitism, the implications of emerging artificial intelligence technologies on Jewish life, the rise of extremist political movements, and the broader threat that antisemitism poses to democratic societies.
“Since the terror attacks of 7 October 2023, Jewish communities have been subjected to never-ending waves of hatred, violence, and ostracization from public life. Our meeting in Dublin is a much-needed opportunity to reset the conversation between Jewish organizations, governments, and technology companies. Statements and condemnation of antisemitism only go so far. Practical solutions must urgently be put in place to protect Jewish life globally,” said Maram Stern, WJC Executive Vice President & SECCA Co-Chair.
Top officials from WJC’s affiliates delivered national reports outlining the current state of Jewish life in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and United States.
Building on the Geneva Declaration
Held from 12–14 October, in cooperation with the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland and co-funded by the European Commission, the Dublin meeting was designed to move the commitments adopted at the previous SECCA gathering in Geneva from declaration toward implementation.
The Geneva Declaration on Combating Antisemitism, signed in May 2026 by envoys and coordinators meeting alongside WJC Jewish community leaders, set out commitments on security provisions, prosecution of antisemitic offenders, Holocaust education, and action against hatred online and offline. In Dublin, those commitments provided the framework for examining how governments, communities, and technology companies can translate shared principles into practical measures.
“Since the signing of the Geneva Declaration, we have moved quickly from words to action, working closely with Jewish communities to advance new concrete measures against antisemitism. The launch of TikkunTech, bringing together the tech-sector, policymakers, and civil society to close gaps and develop practical solutions to online hatred, exemplifies this commitment,” said Forum Co-chair Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life.
“The EU’s recently adopted Agenda to Prevent and Counter Terrorism has further strengthened Europe’s capacity to confront evolving terrorist and violent extremist threats, including those targeting Jewish communities,” she added.
Jewish Leaders Engage Directly with Government Counterparts
Developments in a number of countries offered particularly instructive examples of how governments and Jewish communities are responding to similar pressures through markedly different approaches.
WJC Vice President Daniel Aghion, President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), emphasized the importance of dedicated and active special envoys, sustained engagement with government, and coordination among Jewish communal organizations in securing effective responses to antisemitism.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the December 2025 terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, Aghion underscored the importance of ensuring that Jewish communities are fully heard and meaningfully involved in the development of government responses. He pointed to these relationships as critical to Australia's efforts to confront antisemitism and address the institutional shortcomings brought into focus by the attack and the subsequent Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Speaking alongside Aghion, ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim addressed the international dimensions of antisemitism, particularly the challenges posed by online platforms operating across national borders. Drawing on the Australian experience, he called for stronger multilateral cooperation, more proactive regulation of technology companies, and effective legal mechanisms through which individuals harmed by online content could seek redress. The discussion also highlighted Australia's introduction of restrictions on social media accounts for children under 16, which took effect in December 2025, as an example of government intervention aimed at strengthening online safety and platform accountability.
Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), described the growing sense of insecurity among Canadian Jews following a series of antisemitic attacks, including the September shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, during Yom Kippur. Shack outlined recent government measures to address the escalating threat, including new criminal legislation targeting hate-motivated offenses and intimidation, increased funding for Jewish communal security, strengthened reporting and accountability mechanisms, and greater recognition of antisemitism expressed through anti-Zionist rhetoric. While acknowledging these developments as important steps, he emphasized the need to translate legislative and political commitments into effective enforcement and lasting protections.
Leaders representing the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism—connecting the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Board of Deputies of British Jews alongside the Anti-Defamation League and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations from the United States— joined the SECCA Forum following a series of high-level meetings in London.
ADL Board of Director Chair Nicole Mutchnik briefed participants on the J7’s recent work, including its conversations with the U.K.’s Foreign Secretary on Monday.
Michael Wegier, CEO of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, shared that the group would hold further discussions at Downing Street and at the BBC upon their return to London following the Forum.
Representatives of the American Jewish Committee and Combat Antisemitism Movement also participated in the Forum as observers.
Strengthening Alliances to Safeguard Jewish Life
While the bulk of the Forum was held under Chatham House rules, there were a number of particularly illuminating direct exchanges among government representatives addressing antisemitism and extremism across different regional and political contexts.
Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and H.E. Maqsoud Kruse, the United Arab Emirates’ Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism and Terrorism, addressed participants on their respective governments’ approaches to combating antisemitism and confronting the broader drivers of hatred and extremism. Kruse’s participation marked the UAE’s first representation at the SECCA Forum.
Both speakers emphasized the importance of translating commitments into concrete measures, drawing on their countries’ experiences and models of cooperation to encourage further action among European counterparts. Kaploun also announced Armenia’s forthcoming participation in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and indicated that three additional countries were expected to follow, with further announcements anticipated at a conference in Washington on Wednesday.
Joining the Forum by video from Sydney, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal AO, provided a broader perspective on the country’s response to rising antisemitism complementing the perspective shared by the ECAJ, including developments surrounding the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, established following the December 2025 terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. Segal highlighted the institutional challenges brought into focus by the Commission’s proceedings, including concerns about antisemitism in universities, cultural institutions, and healthcare. Drawing on her national Plan to Combat Antisemitism, she emphasized the importance of translating government commitments into practical measures through stronger institutional accountability, education, enforcement, and sustained cooperation with Jewish communities.
Offering the Argentine perspective, WJC Vice President and DAIA President Mauro Berenstein and Amb. Fabiana Loguzzo, Argentina’s Special Representative in the Fight Against Antisemitism, described a vibrant community confronting rising antisemitism, particularly on social media. They highlighted progress achieved with government support, including legislation allowing trials in absentia to advance justice for the 1994 AMIA bombing and promotion of DAIA’s educational programs, which have trained more than 20,000 teachers to identify, prevent, and combat anti-Jewish hatred.
Technology, AI, and Platform Accountability
The effects of technological developments formed a central strand of discussion at the Forum, reflecting the WJC’s growing work through its Technology and Human Rights Institute (TecHRI) to bring Jewish community concerns directly into debates over artificial intelligence, platform governance, and online safety.
A high-level exchange moderated by TecHRI Executive Director Yfat Barak-Cheney brought together Oxford scholar Prof. Yuval Shany, a member of TecHRI’s Advisory Board, and Jeremy Godfrey, Executive Chairperson of Ireland’s media regulator Coimisiún na Meán, to examine how fundamental rights and democratic values can be protected as AI and digital platforms assume an increasingly prominent role in public life.
Those discussions were carried directly into exchanges with TikTok and Meta. At TikTok’s Transparency and Accountability Centre in Dublin, envoys and community leaders learned through hands-on demonstrations how the company leverages AI and other capabilities to moderate hateful content on its platform. During roundtables senior officials from TikTok’s Trust & Safety and Public Policy teams, participants were able to offer feedback as to how the company can better respond to mutating forms of antisemitism.
Meta hosted the Forum participants to discuss how the company is implementing advanced AI tools to improve their systems that remove harmful content directed at Jewish communities, in addition to discussing Meta’s partnership with WJC on initiatives including AboutHolocaust.org.
The European Commission and TecHRI also presented lessons and selected solutions from TikkunTech, the recent Brussels-based hackathon aimed at developing online tools for combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.
Jewish Life in Ireland
At a complex geopolitical moment, the Dublin gathering provided a timely opportunity for constructive and direct dialogue with the Irish government as the country holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
“We are proud to welcome this important international gathering to Dublin. At a time when many Irish Jews feel increasingly isolated and insecure, this Forum offers a valuable opportunity for honest and constructive engagement with the Irish Government,” said Maurice Cohen, President of WJC’s Irish affiliate, the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland. “Whatever differences may exist over Israel, they must never diminish the right of Jewish people to live in safety, dignity and confidence in their own country. We hope that the discussions here in Dublin will lead to meaningful action, ensuring that Jewish life in Ireland is not merely protected, but encouraged to flourish.”
At the start of Tuesday’s agenda, Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Colm Brophy welcomed participants:
“On behalf of the Irish Government, I am very pleased to welcome Jewish community leaders, representatives from the EU Commission, and members of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) forum to Dublin for an associated event under Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.”
“I am particularly pleased to see that the event has a focus on AI and on the regulation of online platforms, given the troubling increase in antisemitism and other forms of racism online in recent years. I wish all attendees an interesting and productive event, as well as an enjoyable few days in our capital city,” he added.
Jewish leaders and government envoys were hosted by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at Iveagh House on Tuesday evening following an afternoon meeting between Cohen, Maram Stern, the J7 community representatives and the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Micheál Martin.
The visit took place amid strained Ireland–Israel relations since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. Throughout its engagements, the WJC emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue and the responsibility of political leaders to ensure that disagreements over Middle East policy do not translate into hostility toward Jewish communities or undermine their safety.
The Forum concluded at noon on 14 October with a discussion of next steps and areas for continued cooperation, carrying forward the sustained dialogue between governments and Jewish communities that the World Jewish Congress established through the SECCA Forum in 2019.
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