The Anti Defamation League (ADL) held a unique seminar for foreign diplomats serving in Israel this week. The event took place as part of the grant received from the Genesis Prize Foundation to hold seminars for two main target audiences: high-ranking diplomats and representatives of the foreign press in Israel.

The seminar, ISRAEL: Know. Share. Act is designed to provide foreign diplomats and journalists in Israel with in-depth information and knowledge about Israeli society from varied aspects, such as the challenges and opportunities it faces, as well as information and tools related to contemporary antisemitism around the world, its various features and how to fight it.

On the first day of the seminar, discussions and panels were held on various topics, including social cohesion in Israel, the different and competing narratives in Israeli society, Israel’s education system, getting to know the other, Israel’s municipal system and its role in promoting social cohesion and more.

The second day of the seminar focused on antisemitism and how to combat it, and included lectures, discussions and panels on ancient antisemitic myths in the new world, the line between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism, combating anti-Semitism from the perspective of religious leaders and more.

A special one-on-one interview was held on the second day of the seminar with Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog.

Arutz Sheva participates in 'Social Cohesion' panel
Arutz Sheva participates in 'Social Cohesion' panelScreenshot

The seminar ended with remarks from International Director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt.

Carole Nuriel, Director of ADL-Israel said: “We consider it especially important, now more than ever, to hold seminars aimed at providing in-depth familiarity with Israeli society and on combating antisemitism. Familiarity with Israeli society on its various levels helps diplomats truly get to know and understand Israel for all its complexity, in terms of its social, demographic and geographic structures, historical contexts and the tensions and rifts that plague it.

It is equally important to gain an understanding of the features of contemporary antisemitism, which is once again rearing its ugly head even now, during the corona crisis, as well as the ways to combat it so that it can be eradicated once and for all. We consider the seminar an important undertaking because for us, these senior-level diplomats are key partners in learning and conveying these messages by means of the tools that we provide.”