Communities form an antisemitism task force

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The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) has joined major Jewish organisations in six other countries to form the J7, the Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism.

Spurred by the upsurge in antisemitism globally, the group will include the roof bodies of the world’s seven largest Jewish communities – the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Argentina.

In addition to top-level consultations, the J7 will organise working groups comprised of subject matter experts from each community to develop strategies and action plans within areas such as policy and advocacy, tech policy, security, extremism and education against antisemitism.

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations (CoP) CEO William C Daroff said, “The vitriol once felt for individual Jews or Jewish practice, has metastasised into blaming the Jewish people and the Jewish State for the ills of the world. Social media enables antisemitic hate to cross borders, where it spreads faster than ever before.

“It is therefore imperative for the largest Diaspora Jewish communities to engage in regular conversation to develop strategies to combat the pernicious spread of antisemitism. What impacts one community, impacts us all.”

Central Council of Jews in Germany president Josef Schuster drew attention to the role of social media.

“The internet, as a means of fast and easy communication, increasingly blurs national borders. Similarly, antisemitic networks, tactics and developments don’t stop at national borders either. We endorse this additional opportunity for exchange in the J7 format, which will facilitate interaction between representatives of Jewish communities at this level,” he said.

ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim, said, “Antisemitism is a disease of the human spirit that eats away at the foundations of civilisation everywhere. It is not limited by geographical borders, ideology or creed. It is a global phenomenon that requires a global response.”

Wertheim said it was easy to get everyone on board for this initiative, which wasn’t such a surprise, but it was a very strong expression of willingness to cooperate in the face of increasing antisemitism.

He believes this upsurge in hatred is coming from many different sources, and the task force is an attempt for Jewish communities to share information on the best ways to combat antisemitism, which he said is infinitely adaptable and can be used to fit just about any circumstance or ideology.

“Whenever there’s a conspiracy theory about anything, it’s only a matter of time before it ultimately gets attributed to the Jewish people. So you can’t say it’s a left-wing or right-wing or an Islamist phenomenon, it comes from many sources. It always has, and it always, probably always will,” he said.

Wertheim said it remains to be seen how effective it will be, but “we have to try new things and this is a welcome initiative that does carry with it some promise of impact”.

The J7 leadership will meet periodically virtually and for the first time in person at the Anti-Defamtion League’s 2024 Never is Now Summit in New York at the beginning of March next year.