October 6, 2022 Global Antisemitism Newsletter - Combat Antisemitism Movement

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Dear Friends,

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky has become the Chairman of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Advisory Board. “I am very pleased to be joining as Chair of the Combat Antisemitism Movement Advisory Board, which has become one of the most effective organizations in fighting antisemitism…” Sharansky said.

“It has become worryingly comfortable and even praiseworthy to hold positions on Jews or Jewish collectivity that would not be acceptable against any other people or minority,” he added. “This is Antisemitism and we need to combat it together with allies and friends, and that is what CAM is doing so effectively.”

One year ago, the European Commission unveiled the first-ever European Union Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, which detailed a series of measures to prevent all forms of antisemitism, secure and foster Jewish life, and promote remembrance and education about the Holocaust. The European Commission is now celebrating the first anniversary of the launch of this initiative, and highlighting what has been achieved over the past twelve months.

Spain’s parliament adopted a bill by the regional Madrid Assembly barring any public funds from being granted to entities that promote antisemitism as defined by the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. U.S. President Joe Biden outlined his administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism during a High Holidays reception at the White House.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) replaced Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) as the lead Democrat on the U.S. House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, as Deutch retired from Congress to become the new CEO of the American Jewish Committee. Rep. Manning, who was previously the first female board chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, called rising antisemitism in the U.S. “a real threat to our democracy,” and highlighted the urgency of confronting Jew-hatred on college campuses.

The City University of New York (CUNY) system is allocating $750,000 to address rising “antisemitism and other forms of religious or ethnic bigotry” on its 25 campuses, and will adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

An object was thrown through the stained-glass window of a synagogue in Hanover, Germany during the closing Yom Kippur service while 150 worshippers were praying inside. Vandals spray-painted “Stop the Jews” on the sign of a Chabad synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, and an “unusual break-in” was reported at a synagogue in San Francisco, California. In Genoa, Italy, “Jewish Shop” and a yellow Star of David were spray-prainted across the front of a confectionary store.

On Twitter, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the protests and unrest that have swept the country, were “schemes designed by the US; the usurping, fake Zionist regime; their mercenaries…”

This week’s global antisemitism report highlights 34 new media reports of antisemitic incidents. The total includes 19 (55.9%) from the far-right, 4 (11.8%) from the far-left, 2 (5.9%) with Islamist motivations, and 9 (26.5%) unidentifiable in nature.