Leading researchers and academics from around the world gathered in Haifa for the opening of the Contemporary Antisemitism 2026 conference, where speakers warned that antisemitism is increasingly evolving through language, ideology and public discourse rather than relying solely on traditional forms of prejudice, reports Jerusalem News Syndicate.
The three-day conference, delayed earlier this year because of the war, attracted around 550 participants from more than 20 countries, including over 220 presenters attending in person. Organisers described it as the world’s largest annual academic conference dedicated to the study of contemporary antisemitism.
A central theme throughout the opening day was the growing importance of language in shaping attitudes towards Jews and Israel. Speakers argued that definitions, terminology and public narratives increasingly influence how antisemitism is recognised, understood and challenged in modern society.
Professor Dina Porat of Tel Aviv University examined the development of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. She argued that, although not perfect, the definition has become an essential tool for distinguishing legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy from rhetoric that crosses into antisemitism.
Porat said the definition has evolved from a monitoring tool into an important political, educational and legal reference point. She suggested that it should continue to develop as societies seek more effective ways of identifying and responding to antisemitism.
Professor Nikolay Tabah of the University of Haifa explored how antisemitic language has changed over time while retaining many of its underlying themes. He argued that although the vocabulary used against Jews has evolved across different historical periods and political movements, the core narratives remain remarkably consistent.
According to Tabah, accusations originating in Nazi ideology, Soviet anti-Zionism and certain strands of Islamist rhetoric continue to reappear in contemporary political and social debate, often in updated forms.
The discussions took place against the backdrop of rising antisemitism across much of the Western world. Speakers highlighted recent data showing record or near-record levels of antisemitic incidents in several countries.
In the United Kingdom, 3,556 antisemitic incidents were recorded during 2024, the second-highest annual total on record. France reported 1,570 antisemitic offences, accounting for almost two-thirds of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the country.
Participants also discussed recent figures from the Anti-Defamation League, which identified 2025 as the third-highest year for antisemitic incidents in the United States since records began in 1979. The organisation also reported that assaults involving deadly weapons rose sharply during the year, while the FBI found that anti-Jewish offences accounted for nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes nationwide.
Dr Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, head of the Extremism and Antisemitism Desk at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, focused on how online language can gradually normalise hostility towards Jews.
Presenting research on the phrase „Spiritually Israeli”, she argued that the expression had evolved on social media from a neutral description into a negative label associated with moral judgement and broader hostility towards Jewish and Israeli identity.
She described this process as „semantic drift”, whereby repeated use gradually changes the meaning of words until prejudicial ideas become socially acceptable without appearing overtly antisemitic.
The conference’s opening evening included a recorded message from Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission’s Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life. She praised organisers for holding the event in Israel despite ongoing security challenges, describing it as a demonstration of resilience and solidarity with Jewish communities.
Professor Dina Porat also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades of research into antisemitism and Holocaust history. She encouraged younger scholars to continue expanding the field and finding new ways to communicate research to wider audiences.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Deborah Lipstadt of Emory University, who served as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism between 2022 and 2025. Best known for her successful legal defence against Holocaust denier David Irving, Lipstadt argued that contemporary antisemitism increasingly draws together multiple ideological movements.
She suggested that traditional political models no longer fully explain modern antisemitism, warning that Islamist extremism has become an increasingly significant driver alongside elements of both the political far left and far right.
Lipstadt concluded by arguing that antisemitism ultimately threatens not only Jewish communities but the democratic values of Western civilisation more broadly.
Former Soviet refusenik and human rights activist Natan Sharansky also addressed the conference. Reflecting on the international campaign for Soviet Jewry, he argued that today’s struggle against antisemitism likewise depends on solidarity between Jewish communities around the world and the willingness of individuals to defend their identity.
Sharansky encouraged young Jews not to allow social pressure or exclusion to weaken their sense of belonging, arguing that personal and communal identity ultimately carries greater value than acceptance within social circles.
Throughout the conference, speakers stressed that understanding how antisemitism adapts to changing political, cultural and linguistic environments will be essential if governments, educational institutions and civil society are to respond effectively to one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred.
Photo credit: James Spiro
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