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

NEW YORK – On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Elevate hosted a diplomatic roundtable on Thursday, featuring French Ambassador for Human Rights Isabelle Rome and the mother of an Israeli hostage held captive in Gaza.

Reflecting on her tenure as France’s former Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities, Rome underscored that human rights are not a charitable cause but a core value essential to shaping societal conduct.

Ayelet Samerano then shared a powerful testimony about her son, Jonathan Samerano, who was kidnapped from the Nova Festival on October 7 and remains a hostage of Hamas. She described her journey of resilience and her continued hope as the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war approaches.

The roundtable concluded with WJC NextGen and Jewish Diplomatic Corps members engaging Ambassador Rome in a discussion on combating antisemitism and strengthening solidarity within Jewish communities.

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.