About 3.5 million of America’s 6 million Jews experienced antisemitic incidents last year, according to a Combat Antisemitism Movement survey.
To develop concrete action plans for addressing hate in their communities, more than 200 mayors from across North America gathered in Beverly Hills late last week for CAM’s largest-yet Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism.
Also last week, more that a hundred European, American and Israeli decision makers met at the the second-annual “Actions Matter: The Antisemitism Summit,” hosted by the ELNET—European Leadership Network and CAM.
The Mayors Summit saw the unveiling of the Municipal Antisemitism Action Index, a first-of-its-kind tool that measures and ranks municipalities’ effectiveness in combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish residents.
“Antisemitism is at an all-time high, and with Jews around the world feeling unsafe in their communities, we felt that those who are most likely to effect change for the better are local leaders,” said CEO of CAM Sasha Roytman Dratwa. “The unprecedented attendance at these emergency summits reflects the urgency of our mission.
“The many mayors and local leaders who answered our call and participated have committed to fighting antisemitism and adopted a policy of ‘zero tolerance.’ Nevertheless, the outcome is what matters, and we will continue to work with them on its implementation,” Roytman Dratwa said.
The Mayoral Summit’s location in Southern California was significant, given the region’s struggles with escalating antisemitism, notably on college campuses. At UCLA, repeated pro-Hamas protests have created an increasingly hostile environment for Jewish students, including discriminatory hiring practices and incidents of students being blocked from entering classes.
“Mayors are the most accessible and visible leaders in people’s lives. When acts of hate occur in your city, it threatens and undermines stability, and they must be addressed with decisive action,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “Rising antisemitism is a local issue where local action can have a profound impact. Standing against antisemitism is always the right thing to do.”
Dean Trantalis, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said: “The horror of October 7, and the challenges that followed, have left an indelible mark on our lives. If it starts with antisemitism, when and where will it end? We must remain steadfast, protect those in need—and educate.”
At the event in Vienna, leaders and experts from the fields of politics, academia and civil society discussed strategies against antisemitism in education, culture, sports and the digital space.
“Antisemitism is a global challenge without national borders. Since October 7, we have seen a resurgence of antisemitism related to Israel in the streets of Europe,” said Karsten Evans, director of ELNET activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
“The Vienna conference provides a central platform for deepening dialogue, developing new approaches and formulating concrete actions and steps against Jew-hatred. Only through joint action can we protect Jewish communities and defend democratic values.”