The City of Fort Lauderdale will host the first-ever North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism — chaired by Mayor Dean Trantalis, in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) — from November 15 to 16. Dozens of municipal leaders from across the continent have confirmed their attendance.
Under the banner of “Cities Unite Against Hate,” the mayors will come together to share common challenges and compare best practices in the collective effort against the world’s oldest hatred, with a focus on the tragic manifestations of antisemitism in the United States incited by Hamas’ actions in the Middle East.
In anticipation of the summit, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism last week.
“The State of Israel is under attack from a heinous and genocidal terrorist organization, and we as Americans have to show our support in any way we can,” Mayor Dean Trantalis declared. “There is the federal and state level, but we can do a lot at the city level, and that is what we will sit and discuss.”
The summit follows previous CAM-organized mayoral forums hosted by Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 2021 and Athens, Greece, in 2022.
“As a mayor in South Florida, which is thought to be the fastest-growing Jewish community in North America, I am deeply committed to ensuring that Jewish people feel safe and secure, and our vibrant Jewish community continues to flourish and contribute to wider society,” Mayor Trantalis said.
CAM is organizing the Fort Lauderdale summit in partnership with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America, Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred, Jewish Federation of Broward County, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and National Black Empowerment Council.
“I am extremely grateful to Mayor Trantalis for hosting this vital and urgent summit, which comes at the right time as we see Israel under attack, and its people brutally massacred,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa. “Unfortunately, we are also witnessing displays of antisemitism rapidly increase in the United States and throughout North America.”
“This event is a testament to our belief that mayors and municipal leaders and officials are best placed to help us understand and deal with antisemitism, and we are eager to hear their ideas, policies and strategies to combat hate,” he continued.
The Fort Lauderdale summit comes a year after the Athens forum drew participants from 53 cities and 23 countries, the largest-ever gathering of municipal leaders committed to fighting antisemitism, where a six-point city-level action plan against this age-old scourge was unveiled.
For more information, please visit: mayors.combatantisemitism.org/fortlauderdale
About the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM):
CAM is a global coalition engaging more than 750 partner organizations and four million people from a diverse array of religious, political, and cultural backgrounds in the common mission of fighting the world’s oldest hatred. CAM acts collaboratively to build a better future, free of bigotry, for Jews and all humanity.
