Mayors from 23 countries convene for summit on combating anti-Semitism
November 30, 2022 | Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico
A global grassroots movement to combat anti-Semitism will co-host a conference this week in Greece alongside dozens of mayors from 23 countries, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, amid reports of rising anti-Semitism worldwide.
The 2022 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism (MSAA) will take place Wednesday and Thursday in Athens, with participants from 53 cities and 23 countries. The event marks the first time the MSAA has invited mayors from across the globe to share their municipalities’ challenges with anti-Semitism and propose solutions.
The advocacy group Combat Anti-Semitism is one of the event’s organizers. The event will be hosted by Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis and Greece President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will be in attendance.
The event’s location is symbolic as Athens is considered the “birthplace of democracy,” and Greece is home to the oldest European Jewish community.
“Athens is the birthplace of democracy, and the significant rise of hate and anti-Semitism we are witnessing around the world is a threat to our cherished democratic values,” Mayor Bakoyannis said in a statement.
“That is why this event is so important and timely. We see an insidious spread of anti-Semitism, so there is a need to fight this scourge at the local level as well as to see how these trends are global, and learn best practices from each other towards combating them.”
Other co-hosts of the gathering include the Center for Jewish Impact (CJI), the Jewish Federations of North America, the Canadian Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Jewish Community of Athens, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
In a Tuesday statement to The Christian Post, an event spokesperson confirmed that New York City Mayor Adams will participate in the gathering.
Other notable mayors from the U.S. include Albuquerque, New Mexico Mayor Tim Keller; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Mayor Dean Trantalis; Richmond, Virginia, Mayor Levar Stoney; Englewood, New Jersey, Mayor Michael Wildes; and Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumamba. … (Excerpt from The Christian Post)
