Lord John Mann and the leading academic David Hirsh have both cancelled their participation at an Israeli government-organised conference over concerns about invitations offered to far-right European political figures.
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.
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.
Lord Mann
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 antisemtism 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.”
Professor David Hirsh
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, Argentine President Javier Milei.
Israeli minister Amichai Chikli
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis is among those yet to signal whether they intend to attend the event.
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 Keir Starmer as a “pathetic doormat” over his stance towards Hamas and the hostages.
