WJC Advocates for Jewish Communities at UNGA as October 7th Anniversary Nears

NEW YORK - World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder met with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the Italian Mission to the United Nations on Tuesday afternoon. The discussion focused on the current situation in the Middle East and the subsequent rise in antisemitism, stressing the concerning trend of increased hostility towards Jewish communities both across Europe and in Israel. President Lauder and Minister Tajani underscored the importance of sustained vigilance and collaborative efforts to effectively address and combat the growing threats of antisemitism.

There are approximately 28,000 Jews currently living in Italy. The Italian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Union of the Italian Jewish Community.

NEW YORK - The World Jewish Congress honored Czech President Petr Pavel on Tuesday at the Neue Galerie in New York for his ongoing support of the Czech Jewish community and the State of Israel. The gathering took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“I want to thank President Pavel for his outstanding leadership and his unwavering support of Israel, especially in this past year, and we especially appreciate the Czech Republic’s steadfast support in the United Nations,” said World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, adding, “We look forward to strengthening the bond between our communities."

President Pavel said, “In the face of mounting antisemitism, it our collective duty to ensure that such hatred and violence never take root again.” He added that there is a shared responsibility to ensure that people will never experience the same horrors as previous generations."

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, was also in attendance.

The event was cohosted by the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations.

NEW YORK - World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder welcomed Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, to the Neue Galerie Tuesday afternoon. President Lauder reiterated the critical need for strong U.S. leadership in the fight against antisemitism. The two discussed the recent launch of the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, which were unveiled at the 30th commemoration of the AMIA bombings in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They noted that these guidelines from the State Department are a crucial tool for enhancing international efforts to combat antisemitism. 

NEW YORK — On the sidelines of the 79th UNGA High-Level Week in New York, the World Jewish Congress’s diplomatic marathon is being supported by members of the organization’s Jewish Diplomatic Corps. 

At the start of the week, the JDCorps members attended events such as the United Nations’ Summit of the Future Action Days and a UNGA side event hosted by UNESCO and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.  

Representing the World Jewish Congress, Elizabeth Chen (US) attended the Summit of the Future, where she engaged with young leaders from around the world focused on advancing women's rights and tackling poverty while addressing concerns of antisemitism during a counterterrorism panel that ignored Israel’s struggles and criticizing the rhetoric and lack of empathy for its victims. 

Throughout the remainder of the UNGA High-Level week, WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps members Louise Lipsker (France), Danielle Murad Weiss (US), Randall Fried (US), and Victoria Godik (Ukraine/Germany) will take part in civil roundtable discussions, attend side events, and meet with national delegations on WJC’s behalf.  

NEW YORK—WJC President Ronald S. Lauder called on world leaders to double down on their fight against anti-Israel bias and antisemitism within the halls of the United Nations during a high-level event hosted by France’s Foreign Ministry and UNESCO held at New York’s Cipriani. The gathering, titled “Combatting antisemitism and hate speech through education,” was aimed at promoting educational initiatives addressing these critical issues while emphasizing a need for increased programs in the field of Holocaust and genocide studies. 

The was headlined by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, newly sworn-in French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, and World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder. 

In his remarks, President Lauder recognized the presence of the hostages' families and underscored the alarming rise of global antisemitism, asserting that "fighting antisemitism requires coordination between governments, civil society, and international organizations." He stated that such countries that fail to do so should be allowed to be part of the international community.

He also used his remarks to emphasize the importance of global cooperation, particularly in education and combating online hate, supported by UNESCO's collaboration with the World Jewish Congress.  

In her remarks, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, underscored the urgent need for a united approach to address the rise in antisemitism, stressing that education plays a crucial role in fostering tolerance and countering hate speech. She also praised the success of initiatives like AboutHolocaust.org, a joint effort between UNESCO and the World Jewish Congress, in advancing these goals. The site is used by Facebook and TikTok to provide users with reliable information about the history of the Holocaust. 

France’s newly appointed Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who assumed his position earlier in the day, shared the poignant story of his grandfather’s efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust. He emphasized that this personal connection underscores his deep commitment to Holocaust education and his resolve to combat antisemitism. 

The evening also featured remarks from Keren Yarhi-Milo of Columbia University, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, WJC Vice President & Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif) President Yonathan Arfi, Argentinian Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, USC Shoah Foundation’s Robert Williams, Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasnana, Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch delivered closing remarks. 

NEW YORK—WJC President Ronald S. Lauder met with Polish President Andrzej Duda in New York on Monday afternoon. The conversation focused on the situation in the Middle East and its implications for regional and international stability, as well as the alarming rise of antisemitism following the October 7 terror attacks. Duda and Lauder also discussed the upcoming commemoration events for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, at which Amb. Lauder will be delivering an address.

There are approximately 10,000 Polish Jews currently living in Poland. The Polish affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland is a World Jewish Congress affiliate.

NEW YORK— WJC President Ronald S. Lauder met with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and its implications for regional and international stability. 

There are approximately 2,500 Jews currently living in Singapore. The Singaporean affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Jewish Welfare Board of Singapore.

NEW YORK— WJC President Ronald S. Lauder welcomed European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to the Neue Galerie on Monday morning, expressing deep gratitude for her unwavering commitment to the Jewish people and her continued, steadfast support for the State of Israel, specifically following the October 7th terror attacks. The discussion also highlighted the European Parliament’s interest in actively participating in humanitarian efforts in Gaza and addressing the challenges facing the region in the aftermath of the conflict.

At an event during last year’s UN General Assembly, WJC honored Metsola for her allyship to Europe’s Jewish communities.

NEW YORK—WJC President Ronald S. Lauder met with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Sunday afternoon at the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations. Lauder thanked the Prime Minister for his country’s strong stance in solidarity with Israel in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks. The conversation also focused on Greece’s pivotal role within the European Union and the need for its leadership in addressing key regional and international challenges.

There are approximately 5,000 Jews currently living in Greece. The Greek affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.

JD Elizabeth Chen (US) participated in a roundtable discussion with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other Jewish young leaders based in New York, where they discussed strategies to combat antisemitism through education and addressed the current situation in the Middle East.