Israeli President Herzog will not host European politicians amid controversy of far-right lawmakers at antisemitism conference

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will not be hosting as originally planned European lawmakers next week at the opening of the Israeli International Conference on Combating Antisemitism. The reason is reportedly to mark the president’s dissatisfaction with the conference host, Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, who decided to invite controversial European populist far-right politicians. 

The president will instead focus on meeting prominent leaders from the Jewish world. 

"The meeting will feature prominent leaders from the Jewish world and include a panel of representatives from Jewish communities worldwide," Herzog’s spokesperson stated.

Knesset Aliyah and Absorption Committee chairman MK Gilad Kariv who earlier this week urged the Israeli government to disinvite the controversial European lawmakers, praised President Herzog’s decision to withdraw from the role as an official host. 

"I congratulate the President of the State for his clear position against giving legitimacy to extremist politicians who represent anti-Semitic parties,” Kariv said. “The Kosher certificate that the Israeli government grants to these politicians is a spit in the face of the Jewish communities in the Diaspora and in the face of Holocaust survivors." 

There has also been international opposition to the decision to invite European far-right populist conservative lawmakers from countries like Spain and France. 

The British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis announced on Monday he would boycott the conference due to the presence of “far-right populist politicians.” Mirvis' office confirmed that once he was made “made aware of the attendance of a number of far-right populist politicians,” he reportedly decided he would “no longer be attending.”

It was also reported on Tuesday that Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Jewish American Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a watchdog that combats antisemitism, would not attend the Israeli conference on combating antisemitism. ADL confirmed that Greenblatt withdrew his participation "in light of some of the recently announced participants at the Israeli government's antisemitism conference."

Last month, Israeli minister Chickli reached out to conservative European lawmakers whom he views as partners against radical Islam, which threatens both Israel and the Western world. 

“Antisemitism is a growing problem in Europe due to Muslim immigration,” Chickli argued, an assessment that is shared by many European Jews. 

Although withdrawing as a host for European lawmakers, the Israeli president and his wife Michal met on Wednesday with senior Jewish American leaders from the board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Jewish Federation of Orange County, and groups that represent the American Friends of Magen David Adom. 

Herzog praised the Jewish American leaders for their strong support of Israel at a time when the Jewish state was fighting a multi-front war in the Middle East while facing vocal international criticism. The president urged Jewish Americans to continue supporting Israel amid growing divisions between a more conservative-leaning Israel and predominantly liberal American Jewry. 

The Jewish American representatives also urged Herzog to speak up against the growing levels of antisemitism in the United States and internationally following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. 

“Israel is the Jewish state, and in the eyes of non-Jews, you are representing us,” one man told Herzog. “You have to go out and express the interests of Jews in the world in the general media."

Herzog responded by urging Jewish American leaders to fight back against antisemitism. 

While Herzog has distanced himself from the conservative Netanyahu government, he nevertheless shares Netanyahu’s assessment that the Iranian regime constitutes the greatest threat to the Jewish state’s existence. 

“Iran, the empire of evil,” Herzog stated, stressing it is “a No. 1 priority,” adding that Israel is doing everything in its power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that would threaten Israel’s future.