Chief Rabbi pulls out of Israel antisemitism conference over far-right participation
Lord Mann and academic David Hirsh also withdraw from event organised by diaspora minister Amichai Chikli after he invites figures from far-right European political parties
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has withdrawn his participation from an Israeli government-organised conference on antisemitism later this month over concerns about invitations offered to far-right European political figures.
His spokesman, Mark Frazer, issued the following statement on Monday: “I can now confirm that having been made aware of the attendance of a number of far-right populist politicians at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, the Chief Rabbi will no longer be attending.”
The announcement came shortly after Jewish News revealed Lord Mann and the academic Prof David Hirsh have also both cancelled their participation at the event.
The trio joins a growing list of invited speakers and participants in the conference who have announced in recent days that they will not be attending because of the participation of representatives of extremist political parties.
One senior UK official told Jewish News that the event, and the decision to invite figures from far-right opposition parties across Europe had turned into a “diplomatic nightmare” for Israel’s foreign ministry.
Jewish News understands the Board of Deputies have also opted not to send their own representative to the same event.
The March 26 and 27 conference has been organised by Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli with a stated aim of providing a platform to discuss efforts in combating antisemitism.
Rabbi Mirvis and Lord Mann are both understood to have had speaking roles at the event.
Attendees are also offered a tour of the West Bank where participants “shall explore the diverse aspects of life and coexistence in the region, delve into ancient biblical sites, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the region’s strategic importance.”
But concerns have grown about invitations offered to several far-right political figures including Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party; Marion Marechal, a far-right French Member of the European Parliament; and Hermann Tertsch, a far-right Spanish Member of the European Parliament.
Chikli has previously signalled his support for increasingly far-right political stances and efforts to strengthen Israel’s ties with Europe’s far-right parties, which had previously been boycotted due to their associations with antisemitism and Nazism.
But in the run-up to the event, the UK government’s antisemitism adviser Lord Mann, and Goldsmiths University Professor Hirsh have joined the likes of the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and two German officials in turning down their invitations to the event.
Lord Mann told Jewish News: “The quality of some of the opposition politicians speaking is not sufficiently high enough to entice me from competing priorities.
“There is nothing for the UK to learn about tackling antisemitism from some of these characters.”
In a statement issued on the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism website, Professor Hirsh said:”I was due to participate in the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, organised by the Israeli Ministry of the Diaspora on 26 and 27 March, but I have now reluctantly decided to pull out.
“There are too many far-right speakers on the agenda who associate themselves with anti-democratic and anti-egalitarian movements: from Marine Le Pen’s RN in France; Milorad Dodik, President of Republica Sprska; Eduardo Bolsonaro from Brazil; Hungary’s Fidesz party; and others in the European Parliament group ‘Patriots for Europe’.”
Hirsh added:” It is clear to me that anti-democratic thinking is fertile ground for antisemitism and that the best way to undermine antisemitism is to support democratic thinking, movements and states.”
French philosopher Levy was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the event, titled The International Conference on Combating Antisemitism.
But he informed President Isaac Herzog that he would not attend due to the participation of far-right guests.
Felix Klein, the Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight Against Antisemitism, “has decided not to attend,” it was confirmed.
Volker Beck, a former German Bundestag member, also added his voice to the growing backlash, writing on social media: “If we associate ourselves with extreme right-wing forces, we discredit our common cause; it also goes against my personal convictions and will have a negative impact on our fight against antisemitism within our societies.”
Other attendees at the event include Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentine President Javier Milei.
Chikli has drawn criticism for building links with far-right politicians.
In December, Romania’s ambassador to Israel condemned him for holding a phone conversation with presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who has praised Romanian leaders who oversaw the deaths of some 280,000 Jews during the Holocaust.
French President Emmanuel Macron complained to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Chikli after he publicly endorsed the presidential candidacy of National Rally’s Marine Le Pen in the recent election.
The Israeli minister also raised eyebrows with his criticism of Sir Keir Starmer as a “pathetic doormat” over his stance towards Hamas and the hostages.
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