Douglas Emhoff, the wife of Vice President Kamala Harris, or as he is known in the United States, the country’s ‘second gentleman’, speaking at a special event at the United Nations, called for extending the fight against anti-Semitism. Emhoff, the first Jew in history to become the wife of a US president or vice president, called for a global effort to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. Hosted by the United States Permanent Mission to the United Nations with support from the diplomatic missions of Argentina, Canada, Israel, Morocco, and the United Kingdom, attendees of the event witnessed the alarming growth anti-Semitism in the United States. itself and the role of the Internet in its dissemination.
“The terrible truth is that anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN, opening the meeting. “The oldest form of hatred is once again threatening the safety and community that Jews deserve. This hatred is fueled not only by extremist groups, but also by political leaders, popular celebrities and people in positions of power. This hatred is spreading both online and in person; directly and indirectly; open and hidden. Here in the United States, four out of ten American Jews are four out of ten! – were forced to change their habits for fear of anti-Semitism. Here in New York last November, anti-Semitic crimes increased by 125%.”
A second American gentleman, Douglas Emhoff, who has just returned from a trip to Poland and Germany where he participated in events marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, has called for the creation of the broadest coalition to strengthen the fight against anti-Semitism.
“We all need to speak out against anti-Semitism and pay attention to those who don’t,” he said. Silence is not an option. We need to build coalitions to fight this epidemic of hate. We must unite people of all faiths and nationalities. Because hate affects everyone. And we have to keep every community safe. All must be able to live and pray, each being himself and being free, without fear and without being subjected to violence. A threat to one community is a threat to all communities.
Participants in the meeting paid particular attention to the role of the Internet in spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric. UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming highlighted the role of video platforms.
“The algorithms that social media platforms rely on are designed to seek out and heighten outrage,” she said. – Video platforms are the most problematic. They often lead users into the mirror of a spiced anti-Semitic Holocaust denial plot.
Deborah Lipstadt, US Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, agrees with this assessment: “You’re absolutely right about social media. Influencers must say directly: “This is unacceptable”! If anti-Semitic remarks come from athletes, other athletes must denounce them; in the case of actors, other actors must present an information. And there is no need to try to understand or explain anything: there is no rational explanation for this hatred or other prejudice.
Participants at the meeting agreed to focus their efforts on combating the “normalization of hate” and the penetration of anti-Semitic rhetoric into political discourse.
