‘Education is the first wall in the fight against antisemitism’

At the third International Pro-Israel Summit in Budapest, Israeli Education Yoav Kisch delivered a passionate keynote address on Tuesday, emphasizing Israel’s resilience during the Gaza war and the global fight against antisemitism.

The event brought together political leaders, academics and pro-Israel advocates from around the world. Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky attended, as did Miklós Szánthó, director general of the Center for Fundamental Rights, a conservative think tank that works closely with the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Opening his remarks, Kisch thanked Hungary for its “clear line of zero tolerance toward antisemitism” and praised Orbán for his “unwavering friendship with the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”

He described the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack as a “barbaric and brutal massacre” and declared that Israel had emerged victorious after a two-year war, “crushing the Iranian-backed Shi’ite axis” and ensuring Gaza would “no longer pose a threat to Israel.”

He also rejected accusations of racism and genocide leveled against Israel during the war, saying that “never has an army acted as morally as the IDF.”

Turning to the rise of antisemitism worldwide, the education minister warned that the coming year would likely see “a growing trend of antisemitic incidents.”

He urged greater collaboration between governments, civil society and academia to confront hate, stressing that “education is the first wall in the fight against antisemitism.”

He lamented what he described as a wave of hostility on university campuses, citing the recent murder of American social activist Charlie Kirk as “a direct result of serious incitement.”

Kisch called for renewed emphasis on Holocaust education, arguing that teachers and educators are “the ambassadors leading this fight.”

This article was originally published by Israel National News.