In early July, ADL Board Chair Esta Epstein, CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and SVP for International Affairs Sharon Nazarian led a high-level ADL delegation to Israel for a four-day mission, which came on the heels of the recent conflict with Hamas, the violence between Israeli-Arabs and Jews in so-called “mixed cities” and the swearing of a new Israeli government.

Sharon Nazarian, SVP for International Affairs, participated in a plenary panel titled “Are we witnessing the mainstreaming of anti-Zionism?” on the opening morning of the 7th annual Global Forum on Antisemitism in Jerusalem.

Sharon spoke about the recent spike in antisemitic incidents in the US around the world as well as huge surge in online hate, largely couched in anti-Israel and anti-Zionist rhetoric, explaining how these attacks don’t occur in a vacuum, and are in part fed by a growing mainstreaming of anti-Israel approaches within certain corners of American society. 
 
The Forum, which is sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, brings together top experts and representatives from Jewish communities from around the world to discuss trends and analysis related to global antisemitism, and included speeches by Israel’s President, Foreign Minister and other senior Israeli and global officials.

ADL said it was disappointed by Ben & Jerry’s decision to stopping selling their products in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, saying "You can disagree with policies without feeding into dangerous campaigns that seek to undermine Israel".

Since the July 19th announcement, ADL engaged with Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company, regarding the decision. In response, Unilever CEO Alan Jope sent a letter unequivocally rejecting BDS, and reiterating the company’s pledge to continue doing business in Israel.  
 
ADL responded to the letter, saying "We are heartened to read this unequivocal stance rejecting the BDS movement and any support for it by one of the world's largest multinational companies, and we are glad that Unilever is committing itself to investing in and serving the Israeli market now and for years to come.”

Israel & Broader Middle East

While in Israel with an ADL leadership delegation (see above), ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Sharon Nazarian, SVP for International Affairs, attended the swearing in ceremony of Isaac Herzog as the 11th President of Israel.

ADL welcomed Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid’s public support for the two-state solution, his caution against harmful steps negating peace and support for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians. 

ADL condemned efforts to disrupt Tisha Ba’av egalitarian prayer services at the Western Wall by Jewish extremists.  

ADL condemned Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh for spreading multiple antisemitic myths. 

The refusal of an Algerian Judo athlete to compete against an Israeli during the Olympics was condemned.  

In a blog post, David Weinberg, Washington Director for International Affairs, called out Egypt’s state-run bookfair for featuring antisemitic publications, including the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  

A new ADL blog examined a conference which featured dozens of prominent anti-Israel academics and activists from across the world. The June event, sponsored by the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, included speakers who invoked antisemitic tropes, and was co-sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies at University of Denver and a Turkish government ministry.  

Related: Scott Levin, Director of ADL’s Denver Office, attended a meeting with University of Denver Center for Middle East Studies Dean Fritz Mayer, to express concerns about the Center being the only US academic institution to sponsor this antisemitic anti-Israel event. The Dean made clear that the University did not approve or support the conference, that they absolutely stood in opposition to antisemitism, and as a result, they are developing a process around sponsorships by the University and its schools, centers and others.

Europe

Sharon Nazarian, SVP for International Affairs, spoke on a panel sponsored by Chelsea soccer club, on impactful efforts to stamp antisemitism out of European football. 

Latin America

In an op-ed marking the 27th anniversary of the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Argentina, Sharon Nazarian, SVP for International Affairs, wrote about how the rise in global antisemitism serves a reminder for the need to finally bring those responsible for the bombing to justice.  

ADL commemorated anniversaries of two attacks in Latin America: the bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish community center in Argentina, and the bombing of commuter airliner flying to Panama City, allegedly by a Hezbollah operative.  

ADL condemned Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for hosting a member of the far-right German AfD political party.  

Liat Altman, Director of Latin American Affairs, met with representatives of Jewish communities of Panama, Mexico, Brazil and Chile to discuss recent antisemitic incidents and issues of mutual concern. 

In an effort to reach and expand ADL’s Spanish speaking audiences in the US and around the world, two ADL op-eds were translated into Spanish: 

• Jonathan Greenblatt on Iran’s new President-elect

• Sharon Nazarian on the AMIA Bombing Anniversary 

For additional ADL resources in Spanish, please visit ADL’s social media pages: 

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Liga.Antidifamacion/

• Twitter - https://twitter.com/ADL_es 

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEPACLR6xldronaTqPKPIcQJampGO1d1w

Global & Communal

ADL condemned antisemitic incidents and trends globally, including: antisemitic comments by President Lukashenko of Belarus; a mural of a soccer player was defaced with antisemitic motifs in the Netherlands; disruptions by extremists of an event commemorating Jewish victims of a pogrom in  Poland; antisemitic slogans were chanted at an anti-vaccine protest in Poland; a Jewish man was subjected to antisemitic abuse while riding public transit in the UK; and a visibly Jewish individual was attacked in the  Ukraine.

ADL thanked Canadian PM Justin Trudeau for hosting a national summit on combating antisemitism.    

ADL welcomed the US State Department’s unequivocal condemnation of the BDS movement and other efforts to delegitimize Israel.