Program on Extremism 9th Annual Conference: The Surge and Change of Antisemitism after October 7th
Tue, 21 May, 2024
9:30am - 3:30pm
The dramatic events of October 7th, 2023 have triggered a disturbing wave of antisemitism throughout Europe and North America. The phenomenon has been characterized not only by a virulence arguably unprecedented in modern times but also by its intersectionality. Laying bare dynamics already seen, albeit on a smaller scale, throughout the West, the post-October 7th environment has in fact clearly shown that poisonous forms of antisemitism exist also in political milieus not traditionally seen by most as particularly antisemitic. Moreover, it has shown that antisemitism is often the common denominator across various extremist ideologies, producing seemingly illogical but nonetheless troubling ideological synergies.
In order to discuss these dynamics and sketch out practical solutions, the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University in Washington, DC and the Fondazione CDEC (Italy’s Center for Contemporary Jewish Documentation) in Milan, Italy, brought together top-level experts from the US, Europe, and Israel. The event was on May 21st, 2024 at 3:30 CET at the Milan Shoah Memorial in Milan, Italy, and it featured insights from:
- Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, CDEC Director and event moderator
- Lorenzo Vidino, GWU Program on Extremism Director
- Noemi Di Segni, Union of Italian Jewish Communities
Panel in English:
- Mina Abdelmalak, Arabic Audience Outreach Program Manager at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Omar Mohammed, Senior Fellow at GWU Program on Extremism
- Dina Porat, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University & Yad Vashem
- Linda Maizels, Senior Fellow at GWU Program on Extremism
- Michael Whine, Senior Consultant at the World Jewish Congress
- David Hirsh, Senior Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Academic Director and CEO of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.
Panel in Italian:
- General Pasquale Angelosanto, National Coordinator for the Fight Against Antisemitism, Italy
- Stefano Gatti, Researcher at CDEC
- Milena Santerini, Professor and Vice President of the Milan Shoah Memorial Foundation
- Maurizio Molinari, Director at La Repubblica
Concluding remarks by Liliana Segre, Italian Senator and Holocaust Survivor