Israel's Mission to the United Nations and the World Jewish Congress (WJC) will co-host a special conference on the delegitimization of the State of Israel, at UN headquarters in New York, on 31 May 2016, in the presence of dozens of ambassadors from around the world as well as thousands of students, dignitaries, public officials and opinion makers.
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said that he hoped that the conference, entitled 'Building Bridges, Not Boycotts', would help give the next generation the tools to fight anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments.
“The anti-Israel narrative on campuses and in diplomatic halls has spun out of control and has proven itself to be part and parcel with an anti-Semitic agenda, aimed at delegitimizing the Jewish state and its right to exist,” said Lauder. “Our enemies have tried to defeat us militarily and economically, and they have failed. Now they are trying to defeat us politically, and although they may think that this time they are winning, we will not stop fighting until they fail.”
“The Jewish people must not let themselves be dragged into defeatism, or into victimhood. Our young people must be equipped with the tools to face adversity and to help the Jewish people remain strong and eternal,” Lauder added. “The Jewish people have the right to statehood and to remain a thriving member of the international community. We will not let our enemies defeat us.”
The conference will open with a plenary session in the General Assembly Hall, with address from dignitaries including Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder and Israeli Supreme Court Vice President Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, as well as a performance by the American musician Matisyahu. Three panel discussions featuring acclaimed experts will follow in the afternoon, focused on the effects of the boycott movement in academia, the legal realm and the public sphere.
Danon said: “BDS is the modern incarnation of anti-Semitism. Holding this anti-BDS summit in the UN General Assembly will bring together an international coalition against the boycott movement, and will send a clear message to all of our adversaries – Israel will not relent and will continue to reveal the lies propagated by the BDS movement.
“BDS is continuing to spread and seeks to utilize international institutions to implement its ideology of hate,” he continued. “This summit will create practical tools to battle BDS by training students to serve as ‘ambassadors’ against boycotts. They will return to their campuses fully equipped and ready to take on the lies of the BDS movement.”
The conference will be held in full coordination with Keren HaYesod, the American Center for Law and Justice, the Anti-Defamation League, the Zionist Organization of America, Israel Bonds, StandWithUs, B'nai B'rith International, Hillel and CAMERA, among other organizations.
