‘Jew-hatred in US most worrisome’
President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation Dr. Moshe Kantor said on Thursday that antisemitism in the US is his highest concern, citing a recent rash of severe antisemitic attacks.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post during the Fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem, he said several other countries were also “in the risk” zone and were of concern, including Australia, France, the UK and Germany.
Kantor said he was particularly worried about antisemitism in the US because the majority of antisemitic incidents there take place on college campuses, and America’s intellectual elite of the future could be influenced by such ideas.
“This is very problematic and dangerous because the mentality and ideology of future leaders are growing over there,” Kantor said. “That is why we appreciate the [Trump] administration’s resolution to prohibit funding of state universities which are not preventing antisemitism in the campuses.”
In December, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that for the first time explicitly applied protections to Jews facing antisemitism and discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Right’s Act
When enforcing complaints under Title VI, executive departments and agencies should consider the working definition of antisemitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the executive order says.
This has generated controversy because the IHRA definition says opposing the existence of the State of Israel or calling it “a racist endeavor” is antisemitic. Concerns have been raised in the US about infringement of freedom of speech, particularly on campus.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding Polish President Andrzej Duda’s decision not to attend the forum for allegedly not being allowed to speak at the main event.
“According to my knowledge, President Duda was proposed to speak first at the opening of all the ceremonies Wednesday night,” Kantor said. He acknowledged that Duda had not been invited to speak at the main event on Thursday.