A panel at the Arutz Sheva Conference at the Israeli Real Estate Fair in London examined the global rise in antisemitism, with participants warning that anti-Jewish hatred has become increasingly normalized and discussing the challenges posed by radicalization, universities, and anti-Zionist activism.
Moderated by Stop the Hate UK Chief Policy Adviser Catherine Perez-Shakdam, the discussion featured investigative journalist David Collier and historian and political analyst Aurele Tobelem.
Asked whether antisemitism has become "the world's most socially acceptable conspiracy theory," Tobelem responded simply, "Yes."
He argued that antisemitism is rooted in conspiracy thinking that reduces Jews to "this sort of non-human vessel" defined by "their capacity for conspiratorial thinking and action." He added that much of today's antisemitism "has been rendered socially acceptable... through the form of Israel."
When asked what could be done to begin addressing the problem, Tobelem said antisemitic ideology depends on obsessive thinking about Jews.
"The antisemite needs the Jew. The antisemite dreams about the Jew," he said. "Keeping people busy is probably the best way to stop them from being hateful."
Collier agreed that strengthening Jewish identity is important, but argued that communities must also confront those driving antisemitism.
"On the one hand, yes, absolutely, we need to stand there and enjoy our own lives and our own existence and not let them define who we are," he said. "But on the other hand, we also need to face up to the realities of the enemy that we are facing. And we need to basically tell the truth to ourselves about what it is we're up against."
The discussion also focused on universities, where Tobelem recounted his experiences while serving as president of the Israel Society at King's College London following the October 7th Massacre.
He described encountering what he characterized as antisemitism among both students and faculty, including threats against him and lectures that he said presented material sympathetic to Hamas.
"There is an incredible tolerance for intolerance in our institutions," Tobelem said, arguing that greater scrutiny of university funding and governance was needed. "I think it's time that we audited these universities to find out exactly what's going on."
The panel also addressed anti-Zionism, with Collier arguing that the term no longer accurately describes those seeking to eliminate Israel.
"We have allowed these people to occupy this semi-moral space by misnaming the terms of what they are," he said. "They're trying to uproot the state of Israel... That's nothing to do with anti-Zionism. It's something completely different."
Concluding the discussion, both speakers argued that the challenge extends beyond the Jewish community.
Tobelem stressed the importance of education, saying long-term change would require reforming educational institutions.
Collier pointed instead to the broader impact of online radicalization.
"We are probably about a generation away from understanding how much damage social media has done to our society," he said. "Social media provides people with a self-radicalization tool."
He concluded that while antisemitism directly affects Jews, the underlying forces driving polarization and extremism are "not a Jewish problem. It's a societal problem."