Israelite Confederation of Brazil Expands Global Role at Haifa Conference
The Brazilian Jewish Confederation (CONIB) took part in the Contemporary Antisemitism Conference Haifa 2026, held July 7–9 at the University of Haifa, Israel, presenting Brazil’s experience in monitoring, interpreting, and confronting contemporary antisemitism. With around 550 participants, including keynote speakers, researchers, and panelists both in person and online, the conference has established itself as one of the most important international academic gatherings dedicated to the study of antisemitism. More than 50 panels, lectures, and special sessions addressed topics such as monitoring online hate speech, legislation, public policy, academic research, education, memory, combating antisemitism in universities, and new methodological approaches to understanding the phenomenon.
A major milestone of the conference was the launch of the Contemporary Antisemitism Studies Association (CASA), a new international body dedicated to strengthening academic research on contemporary antisemitism and fostering cooperation among researchers, universities, and research centers worldwide. The initiative marks an important step toward consolidating a global network focused on advancing research, training specialists, and promoting scientific exchange in the field.
Representing CONIB, Anelise Fróes, coordinator of the Antisemitism Project, presented the paper “Monitoring Antisemitism in Contemporary Brazil: Methodological Innovations, Institutional Responses, and Global Relevance” during Panel 32 – Latin America I, on the morning of July 8. Her presentation highlighted CONIB’s integrated model for monitoring antisemitism in Brazil, combining data production, narrative analysis, educational tools, and institutional capacity-building. Copies of the Comprehensive Report on Antisemitism in Brazil 2025 were distributed to researchers from universities and research centers in Germany, France, and Israel, expanding the international reach of Brazilian scholarship in the field.
Brazilian participation also included Cléo Assunção, a CONIB researcher, who spoke at QU01 – Bias, Belief, and the Measurement of Antisemitism, dedicated to quantitative research and measurement methodologies. Her presentation introduced the Illustrated Atlas: Decoding Antisemitism, developed by CONIB and scheduled for release in September, emphasizing its role in identifying and interpreting historical tropes and contemporary antisemitic narratives. Additionally, researcher Hannytta Medici presented remotely at Panel 07 – Digital Antisemitism, with the paper “A Retrospective of Narratives and Trends in the Brazilian Media Ecosystem: The Role of Gossip Pages in the Dissemination of Hate Narratives”, based on CONIB’s 2025 research into digital ecosystems in Brazil.
Another highlight was the Gala Dinner on July 7, featuring a keynote lecture by historian Deborah Lipstadt, one of the world’s foremost experts on antisemitism and Holocaust denial. A professor at Emory University and former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Lipstadt is internationally recognized for her academic contributions and her defense of Holocaust memory against new manifestations of antisemitism. The event brought together researchers, academic leaders, and institutional representatives from various countries, reinforcing the conference’s global character.
CONIB’s presence in Haifa reaffirms international recognition of its work in monitoring and combating antisemitism, while expanding the visibility of Brazilian research within leading global networks. By sharing methodologies, studies, and experiences developed in Brazil, CONIB strengthens international scientific cooperation and contributes to evidence-based strategies for education, memory, advocacy, and institutional responses to antisemitism—benefiting both the Jewish community and Brazilian society as a whole.
Source: Anelise Fróes, researcher and coordinator of CONIB’s Project on Antisemitism in Brazil
