Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse

Expressions of anti-Semitism in public discourse remain a serious issue of concern as they exacerbate hostile attitudes towards Jews. They have the potential to fuel anti-Semitic incidents, leading to greater insecurity in Jewish communities and in societies across the OSCE region. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the role that media and public discourse may play in promoting tolerance and preventing hate crimes, and to raise awareness of the existence of anti-Semitic expressions in public discourse, to increase the understanding of this phenomenon and of its impact on security, and to identify practical measures to counter it.

The high-level meeting will commence with an opening session to be followed by three working sessions. The first session will address ‘traditional’ forms of anti-Semitism and stereotypes that are still seen today. The second session will explore modern manifestations of anti-Semitism such as those identified by the OSCE 2004 Berlin Conference, when the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office stated, inter alia, that “international developments or political issues, including those in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East, never justify anti-Semitism.” The third panel will examine effective ways to combat anti-Semitism in public discourse, aiming to showcase some practical examples for addressing the issue.

The working languages of the meeting will be English and Russian. This event is open to members of civil society.