First Conference, Second Conference, Third Conference … The Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism convened today in Jerusalem for the sixth time.
How many more conferences, conventions, forums and meetings will we need to deal with the relentless global phenomenon of anti-Semitism.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, former Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, head of the Museum of Jewish Heritage Center for Study of anti-Semitism Abe Foxman, and many others leading the battle against anti-Semitism attended – none of them have some brilliant solution to offer. “Anti-Semitism is on a worrying upward trend,” each of them said in their own words.
There were recommendations for legislation, further discussions and calls to support active organizations; but a genuine, revolutionary solution was not heard. At least not in the ears of my students who participated in the three days of the conference at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
They saw representatives of various organizations speaking about how much they do against anti-Semitism. They protest hatred, speak at conferences, build coalitions, and go into Twitter-wars with anti-Semites.
The problem is their approach. Every organization proudly displays its work and justifies what it’s doing, yet after countless efforts, “Anti-Semitism is on a worrying upward trend.”
Until we become receptive to hear about the root of this relentless phenomenon, we will find ourselves gathering again and again, and painfully looking at the grim results.
However, the path to a solution has already been paved from time immemorial. Anti-Semitism is only a result we see on the surface; The reason runs deeper.
Humanity needs a unifying mechanism, a way to feel the natural connection that binds all human beings, a bond that will lead to peaceful life. The Jews have the method. They carry it within them. They were founded based upon this method of human connection. Abraham, the father of the nation, gathered around him representatives from various groups, tribes and clans living in ancient Babylon, and founded a group that lived by the principle of “Love thy neighbor as yourself” – unity above all differences.
In time, that group became a people. But later on, it lost the brotherly love and fell into unfounded hatred, and that was when anti-Semitism was born.
Anti-Semitism is an expression of a deep-seated demand that lies in the hearts of the nations of the world. An expectation from that same group, the world’s Jews, to once again provide mankind with the blueprint for a unified society, to recreate their oldest start-up. When we hold a convention that aims to do just that, we can expect to see different results.
Posted on Facebook March 21, 2018