The Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (GFCA) convened its international conference on December 16-17, 2009, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem, under the chairmanship of Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman, and the Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, Yuli Edelstein. High representatives from around the world – including statesmen, Members of Parliament, diplomats, journalists, legal experts, NGO representatives, and leading academic figures – attended, along with senior leaders of Jewish communities and organizations world-wide.
The 2009 conference was the third GFCA conference, following the February 2007 and February 2008 conferences. It provided an occasion to collaborate and exchange ideas in order to prepare constructive, productive and comprehensive strategies to combat global antisemitism. The conference featured both panels and working groups, which dealt with, among other things, developing effective means and models to confront the various forms of antisemitism.
The conference included five panel sessions and two 2-hour working group sessions over the two days, in addition to opening and closing sessions, as well as a special event at the Knesset hosted by the Knesset Speaker, Reuven Rivlin.
The five panel sessions were:
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Dealing with Old and New Forms of Antisemitism
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Trends in the Delegitimization of Israel in the International arena
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Antisemitism in the Arab and Muslim World
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The State of Antisemitism around the World
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Historical Revisionism, Holocaust Denial and the ‘New’ Antisemitism
The five working groups were:
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Nationalist Trends in Central and Eastern Europe: New Challenges Facing the Jewish Communities;
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Rising Antisemitism in Latin America: The Iranian Influence
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Antisemitism Online: Cyberspace and the Media
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Delegitimization of Israel: “Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions”
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Combating Antisemitism: Models and Best Practices