Hundreds of policymakers, activists, diplomats and Jewish community leaders gathered at Jerusalem’s Waldorf Astoria on June 22 for the second day of the 2026 JNS International Policy Summit. The three-day conference opened with a plenary session examining how Israel can confront rising antisemitism, regional instability and the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies.
The morning program, titled “Israel: A Global Superpower—AI, Tech & Innovation,” brought together senior Israeli officials, diplomats, technology experts and advocates to discuss the intersection of security, public diplomacy and innovation. Among those participating were Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel, MK Amit Halevi, Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, Binyamin Regional Council Governor Yisrael Ganz and UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer.
While the speakers approached these issues from different perspectives, a common thread ran throughout the morning: How Israel and Jewish communities around the world can respond more effectively to growing challenges while strengthening resilience at home and abroad.
Quiet diplomacy and the road to renewal
Addressing the plenary on behalf of the U.S., Aryeh Lightstone, senior adviser to the Gaza Board of Peace, discussed ongoing efforts to advance stability and reconstruction in the Strip as part of a broader regional strategy.
The situation in Gaza is not perfect, but it is “exponentially better than it was this time last year, and next year it will be exponentially better than today,” Lightstone said.
He suggested that some of the most significant developments have taken place away from public attention. “Just because you don’t hear of our efforts doesn’t mean that nothing is happening on the ground in Gaza,” he said. “The fact that we’ve managed to stay out of the headlines is a blessing and has allowed us to move forward faster.”
The strategic necessity of Jewish unity
Sam Grundwerg, world chairman of Keren Hayesod–United Israel Appeal, focused on the response of Jewish communities worldwide following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. He introduced what he described as “The Jews of Oct. 8th”—a global awakening that translated into unprecedented levels of philanthropic support for Israel.
“This represents the most significant philanthropic movement toward Israel since the Yom Kippur War,” Grundwerg said.
According to figures he presented, Jewish communities around the world raised 5.1 billion shekels (about $1.7 billion) for Israel during the five months after Oct. 7.
Grundwerg warned that internal divisions within Israel resonate deeply with Jewish communities abroad, showing that in these periods, support for Israel declines sharply. “When Israel is united, the Jewish world feels it, and when Israel is divided, the Jewish world feels it too,” he said.
He argued that national unity is not only a social imperative but also a strategic asset in maintaining engagement and support from the Diaspora.
Rebranding the narrative—cultural ambassadorship
The discussion turned to the international battle against antisemitism and the challenge of shaping public opinion.
Michal Cotler-Wunsh, CEO of the International Legal Forum, drew on the teachings of the late U.K. Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks to argue that antisemitism should be understood as more than a threat to Jews alone. The first signs of antisemitism, she said, are signs that democratic ideals are being threatened.
“This is not a Jewish war, and it is not Israel’s to fight alone,” she said.
Melanie Shiraz, Miss Israel 2025, offered a perspective shaped by her experiences as a student at the University of California, Berkeley, and her travels to university campuses abroad. She argued that Israel should bring the same creativity to public diplomacy that has helped make it a global leader in innovation.
“Israel is a global force in innovation, and we are the best in building what doesn’t yet exist,” Shiraz said. “We need to be innovative in our fight against antisemitism. Rebuttals won’t change a cycle.”
Rather than allowing conversations about Israel to be defined solely by conflict, Shiraz encouraged Israelis to highlight the country’s culture, diversity and everyday life.
“We need to become ambassadors for our culture, our food, our warmth and our love of life,” she said. “Because that is Israel.”
Deploying AI to defeat the bots
Technology and advocacy converged during a panel moderated by Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, special envoy for trade and innovation at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The discussion explored the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence.
Rabbi Dr. Mois Navon, a founding engineer at Mobileye, the Israeli automobile tech company, argued that Jewish ethical traditions offer valuable guidance as societies grapple with increasingly complex technological questions.
AI researcher and entrepreneur Dr. Eli David examined the global race for artificial intelligence, describing the U.S. and China as the dominant powers in the field while noting Israel’s important role within the broader Western technology ecosystem.
The panelists drew a distinction between AI development and AI applications. While cautioning against regulations that could hinder innovation, they argued that the use of AI technologies should be subject to appropriate oversight and ethical standards.
When asked how AI could help address antisemitism online, David pointed to the growing influence of coordinated bot networks that distort public discourse and amplify extremist content.
According to David, one of AI’s most immediate uses is identifying and dismantling those networks, making it easier to distinguish genuine public debate from automated manipulation.
“We can disagree,” he said, “but we have to disagree with humans, not bots.”
Lessons from Durban—a closing call to action
In the closing address of the morning session, JNS Summit Chairman Richard D. Heideman reflected on the 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, and its lasting impact on the discourse surrounding Israel.
Heideman recalled attending the conference with other Jewish leaders who expected a serious discussion about human rights but instead encountered what he described as a coordinated campaign against Israel.
“It ended with a hate fest on the very grounds of the U.N.—an institution founded to protect the truth,” Heideman said.
He argued that the narratives promoted at Durban helped shape subsequent anti-Israel movements and contributed to a climate in which hostility toward Israel became increasingly normalized. “The seeds planted in Durban are now in full bloom,” he warned.
Looking back, Heideman suggested that the Jewish community’s response at the time should have been broader and more proactive.
“If we had not just walked out of Durban, things may have been different,” he said. “We should have adopted a proactive policy, a zero-tolerance policy applied in a multi-pronged manner in the courts, in education, and everywhere.”
From debates about artificial intelligence to reflections on the legacy of Durban, the opening plenary focused on a shared challenge—how to confront old forms of antisemitism in an age increasingly shaped by new technologies, shifting alliances and rapidly changing public discourse.
