The Revival of Jewish Cultural Heritage and Combating Antisemitism and Terrorism in the Middle East

Summary

For centuries, the Middle East has been a space of coexistence and diversity, home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. In 2014, ISIS embarked on a campaign of targeted attacks against cultural heritage- including Jewish cultural heritage- in order to destroy that coexistence. However, recent developments have inspired many communities to reclaim their heritage and rebuild in the face of ISIS's terrorism. Numerous initiatives have been launched across the globe to help restore the cultural heritage of cities like Mosul and other cities in the region. 

On March 16, 2022, the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University hosted an online discussion that focused on the importance of cultural heritage recovery to combat terrorism and antisemitism. The panel, moderated by Program on Extremism research fellow Omar Mohammed, featured insights from:

• Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission's Coordinator on combating Antisemitism and fostering Jewish life
• Edwin Shuker, Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews