Alarmed by the rising tide of anti-Semitism since October 7, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Permanent Delegation of the United States held a high-level discussion on educational policies with the aim of halting this scourge.

The World Jewish Congress has joined forces with UNESCO Ambassadors from France, Germany and Rwanda, the President of the French Jewish community and other civil society groups to address this urgent issue.

Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), addressed the rise of anti-Semitism and reiterated the shared commitment of society, including UNESCO, to combat it.

Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, stated that the fight against anti-Semitism is a deeply personal matter for him and called for cross-faith coalitions to eradicate this hatred.

Dr. Leon Saltiel, Director of Diplomacy and Representative of the World Jewish Congress to UNESCO, expressed the Jewish world’s concern about the spread of anti-Semitism in society and called on governments and international organizations to confront this hatred. Following the meeting, Saltiel praised “the commitment of the Biden-Harris administration and UNESCO to make the fight against anti-Semitism a priority and to express their solidarity with the Jewish community, which has been under great pressure since October 7.”

Saltiel added: “Mr. Emhoff’s investment of time in the fight against anti-Semitism while leading the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the conclusion of the Paris Olympics demonstrates his personal commitment and that of his administration at this critical moment. This joint effort underscores the importance of a renewed United States presence at UNESCO, led by Ambassador Diesel O’Donnell.”

Courtney Diesel O’Donnell, US Permanent Representative to UNESCO, who moderated the discussion, has declared the fight against anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial a priority of the US mission. Yonathan Arfi, President of the French Jewish Community (CRIF) and Vice President of the WJC, outlined the measures taken to combat anti-Semitism in France and stressed the need to involve civil society and other allies in this fight.

The event also discussed the results of the first U.S. National Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism and the Global Guidelines to Combat Anti-Semitism, released last month by U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Deborah Lipstadt. Participants exchanged ideas on global actions to strengthen society-wide responses to anti-Semitism, racism and hate speech, and assessed the adequacy of existing educational programs in light of the increase in anti-Semitic hate speech and actions following the October 7 terrorist attacks. The World Jewish Congress has a long-standing partnership with UNESCO, working together to improve educational programs and protect internet platforms from hate.

The full list of speakers at the event included:

• Mr François Nkulikiyimfura, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Rwanda to UNESCO;
• Ms Kerstin Pürschel, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Germany to UNESCO;
• Mr Phillipe Franc, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of France to UNESCO;
• Ms. Courtney Diesel O’Donnell, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the United States to UNESCO;
• Ms Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO;
• Mr. Tad Stahnke, Director, Holocaust Denial and Anti-Semitism Program, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM);
• Dr. Leon Saltiel, Director of Diplomacy, Representative to UNESCO, to the World Jewish Congress;
• Mr. Yonathan Arfi, President of the French Jewish Community (CRIF), Vice-President of the WJC.