Hello this week from Jerusalem, where we are attending, along with dozens of representatives of organizations combating the boycott movement against Israel and resurgent anti-Semitism, a convention held by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

From the US to South Africa, Norway to the Netherlands and Austria to Australia, organizations from across the Jewish world participated in the conference, called the Global Coalition 4 Israel Forum, which is designed to foster cooperation among groups involved in the fight against BDS.

So, what are a bunch of Jewish groups doing fighting BDS? It’s just an Israel issue, right? Nothing to do with anti-Semitism or Judaism? If you asked yourself these questions, then respectfully, you don’t really understand what the BDS ‘movement’ is all about.

It’s an attack on Jews. Everywhere. The movement itself would have it otherwise, and is at pains to put vehemently polite people on the airwaves saying so. Sometimes convincingly so. Going back to the questions we asked earlier, if you did ask them to yourself, then as far as they are concerned: job done.

Another organization present at the conference was the Campaign Against Antisemitism in the UK. CAA chairman Gideon Falter rightly describes BDS as an “incubator” for antisemitism, saying that the campaign foments hatred against Jews and is frequently the source of anti-Semitic incidents. 

Regular readers will know that we have been at pains to highlight that what BDS does is but the latest mutation of the oldest hatred, and that it is clear that what happens in Israel affects Jewry worldwide. Closer to home to us at the EJA, the EU’s own figures on anti-Semitic trends in the Member States over the years show that there are spikes, but they haven’t made the link.

Now, there are some sharp minds working in the EU, so it’s hard to believe that they simply missed it. What are the causes of these spikes in anti-Semitic actions against Jews? Events in Israel usually.

We all know they didn’t miss it. The EU’s approach to BDS is a tribute to Janus. We are against boycotts but BDS falls under the free speech umbrella. The European Commission has done a tremendous job in combatting anti-Semitism, and the EU’s special envoy on combatting it has in a couple of short years since her appointment earned the respect and admiration of Jewish groups.

But when you can’t tackle the number one cause for a spike in anti-Semitism because it’s pre-ordained by the EU as free speech, then you can never really tackle the problem. After all, you cant dig out a rotten tree if you leave in one of its thickest roots.

So, we find ourselves in the situation where conferences exist bringing us all together to fight this single largest, organised anti-Semitic threat, but it’s one that most of the political institutions, particularly in the EU, regard as free speech. Our job, and what we continue to work on, is making BDS, in the minds of the politician, as vindictive as attacks on religious freedom, on Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic canards and tropes.

We will get there, because you can’t ignore the facts and raw data. And because the mask that the BDS wears, day on day, is slowly slipping.

Thanks for your support, until next time.