Actions matter: Deeds not words in tackling antisemitism

Growing up embedded into a strong Jewish community, just outside of London, I previously believed that antisemitism had largely been discredited due to increased awareness and enlightenment like other forms of abhorrent discrimination such as racism, homophobia and sexism. I believed antisemitism was, for the most part, limited to extremist individuals shouting juvenile slurs across the street, my own personal experience, something which in the fifteen months since October 7, 2023, I’ve come to find a naive illusion.    

Global Jewish communities, waiting for an empathetic embrace and far-reaching support following the deadliest massacre of Jews since the holocaust, instead faced the weaponisation of these heinous crimes to target, isolate and persecute Jews across Europe. As Anti-Zionism became the modus operandi of modern antisemites, blood libels have been consistently deployed under the guise of social and political activism. Freedom of speech, a key cornerstone of western values, has too often become hate speech used to silence individuals and institutions that support Jewish communities. Not only has it silenced people but also threatened them; from January to June 2024, the Community Security Trust (CST) recorded reports of 1,978 anti-Jewish hate incidents, up from 964 in the first half of 2023. In the 2023/24 campus year, the 272 university-related antisemitic incidents recorded by CST marked the highest total ever recorded for a single academic year.    

This is why it is so important and timely that last month The European Leadership Network (ELNET) hosted Actions Matter- The Summit in Vienna, bringing together over 170 policy makers, experts, academics and community leaders to develop tangible action against antisemitism, across Europe. It focused on four key themes; Universities as a place for dialogue? (Antisemitism on Campus), Artistic Freedom? (Antisemitism in Arts and Culture), Red Card to Jew Hatred (Antisemitism in Sports) and Ain’t no game (Antisemitism in Gaming and Social Media). Other sessions included: Antisemitism Post- October 7 – facts, numbers, and challenges. During the summit, participants explored innovative and expansive global strategies, exchanging best practice and forging stronger relationships to best protect Jewish communities across Europe.    

Speaking during the opening session of the summit, Sharon Hodgson MP, provided substantial insight by sharing her Jewish heritage, on her father’s side, as one of many driving factors behind her commitment to fighting antisemitism throughout her career.  She powerfully identified education as a pivotal tool to combat antisemitism, in both academic institutions and wider society.    

The Antisemitism in Social Media and Gaming workshop explored how social media, and gaming platforms have become global channels for the proliferation of hate, often providing perpetrators with the protection of anonymity in their dissemination of antisemitism. To combat this, it was proposed that; platform operators are required to take definitive responsibility, enforcing strict reporting mechanisms and implementing penalties for non-compliance. Proceeds from non-compliance fines could be directed to NGO’s or government departments dedicated to combating antisemitism. Participants stressed the important role artificial intelligence could play. In a dual approach combining AI with human moderation, we could better, and more effectively, identify and remove harmful content. It was a key theme throughout the summit that these measures should be complemented with pro-active educational campaigns to address the challenges posed by antisemitism in both physical and digital spaces.     

My own personal takeaway from this Summit was that although antisemitism predominantly targets our Jewish communities it represents a broader threat to our shared democratic values and social cohesion in the UK and across Europe. Actions Matter – THE SUMMIT underscored the urgency of transforming strategies into actionable measures to address this global challenge effectively.   

So how does this relate to my aforementioned misconceptions surrounding the prevalence of antisemitism in the UK? As I left the Summit, walking through the historic city of Vienna I passed through the monumental Burgtor, the very same landmark Adolf Hitler draped in Nazi flags as he marched through in March 1938, following the German Anschluss with Austria. In the buildup to International Holocaust Memorial Day, I reflect that Actions Matter left me empowered, knowing that over 170 policy makers, experts, academics and community leaders can gather to create innovative and strategic policy on tackling antisemitism, a mere ten minutes from where Adolf Hitler once marched in his mission to eliminate the Jewish people.    

While the prospects of tackling antisemitism do at times feel exasperating, there is optimism to be found in the Jewish community, its organisations, and our allies in the relentless unwillingness to concede defeat. I am proud to work for an organisation that understands tackling antisemitism involves deeds not words alone and I am looking forward to seeing concrete policies on antisemitism enacted from this summit.