The CAM Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, the organization's largest such gathering to date, culminated in the launch of the Municipal Antisemitism Action Index, a pioneering tool that evaluates how effectively cities combat antisemitism and protect Jewish residents.

"Antisemitism is at an all-time high, and with Jews around the world feeling unsafe in their communities, we felt that those who are most likely to effect change for the better are local leaders," CAM Chief Executive Officer Sacha Roytman Dratwa told the organization. "The unprecedented attendance at these emergency summits reflects the urgency of our mission."

The Beverly Hills location carried particular significance given Southern California's challenges with antisemitism, especially on college campuses. At the nearby University of California, Los Angeles, pro-Hamas demonstrations have created what Jewish students describe as a hostile environment, including allegations of discriminatory hiring practices and students being prevented from entering classes.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria emphasized the crucial role of municipal leadership. "Mayors are the most accessible and visible leaders in people's lives. When acts of hate occur in your city, it threatens and undermines stability, and they must be addressed with decisive action," Gloria said. "Rising antisemitism is a local issue where local action can have a profound impact."

The summit's urgency was underscored by a CAM survey released Oct. 7, revealing that approximately 3.5 million of America's 6 million Jews experienced antisemitic incidents last year.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis reflected on recent events: "The horror of October 7, and the challenges that followed, have left an indelible mark on our lives. If it starts with antisemitism, when and where will it end? We must remain steadfast, protect those in need – and educate."

In Vienna, the United Against Antisemitism summit, organized in partnership with the European Leadership Network (ELNET), brought together leaders from politics, academia, and civil society to discuss strategies against antisemitism in education, culture, sports, and digital spaces.

"Antisemitism is a global challenge without national borders. Since October 7, we have seen a resurgence of antisemitism related to Israel in the streets of Europe," said Executive Director of ELNET-Germany Carsten Ovens. "The Vienna conference provides a central platform for deepening dialogue, developing new approaches, and formulating concrete actions and steps against Jew-hatred."

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Israel is working to thwart an initiative at the United Nations that would not define anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism. 

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The initiative was proposed by UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Moratinos, former foreign minister of Spain, who had earlier been appointed the organization's point man on Jew-hatred. 

Moratinos was tasked with enhancing a system-wide response, a plan for which he is scheduled to present in Córdoba in about two weeks. However, contrary to Israel's requests, he advocates for the adoption of a more lenient term for antisemitism, which, as mentioned above, would not equate anti-Zionism with Jew-hatred. 

Under the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which Israel is trying to get the UN to adopt, any attempt to deny the Jewish people their right to sovereignty is considered antisemitism. The definition has been accepted by several European countries, including Britain and Germany, and other EU bodies, as well as the United States State Department. 

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan met with Mortinos when the former began his term. At the time, Mortinoc made it seem that he would promote the more accepted version of the definition, however, two years later, his plans have changed, and he has refrained from consulting with Israel and is promoting his plan unilaterally. 

Israel Hayom learned that Thursday, Erdan briefed the heads of Jewish organizations and presented them with the damage Mortinos' initiative could cause, as the kind of definition the UN adopts will impact its every action with regard to antisemitism and Israel.

Far left-wing Israeli organizations have also urged the UN to accept the more lenient definition of antisemitism, claiming that the IHRA definition is being "misused" to protect Israel from legitimate criticism.

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The Hillel International Jewish campus organization has teamed up with the Anti-Defamation League and the Secure Community Network to launch an online portal where college students can report antisemitic incidents on their campus and receive immediate support.

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The creation of ReportCampusHate.org is in response to the growing threats of Jew-hatred on college campuses. Hillel International recorded 244 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses last year, up from 181 the year before. It also comes after a recent survey found that 74% of college students reported experiencing antisemitism, but that they did not report it. Some 40% of students polled indicated that they did not know how to report incidents of Jew-hatred at school.

According to ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, working with partner agencies in this endeavor will promote a "collaborative response" to antisemitic incidents on campus, as well as "foster better tracking and reporting and tracking of antisemitic trends so we can all better understand and respond to this growing threat to our students."

Once an incident is reported, it will be reviewed by trained security officials who will then work with law enforcement and campus officials as needed.

"When students are impacted by antisemitism, it can be confusing and isolating to garner appropriate law enforcement attention and support," said Michael Masters, national director and CEO of SCN, the security arm of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The new website "will be a safe way for students to report these incidents and activity SCN's security infrastructure to assess the threat and prompt immediate attention."

Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, said it is "essential" that students have the tools and resources to address antisemitism on campus "so they can live and study in safe and welcoming environments."

The site will not only empower students when needed, said Lehman but will also help Hillel "be better equipped to address antisemitism with campus administrators and improve the campus climate."

 Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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