Antisemitism now presents itself as a broader indictment that casts Jews and the Jewish state as responsible for the world’s ills, Lévy said.
By Shula Rosen
French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy warned at the Contemporary Antisemitism Conference in Haifa that hatred of Jews is rising simultaneously across the world and increasingly portrays Jews and Israel as responsible for global problems.
Lévy delivered the closing address at the conference, held July 7-9 at the University of Haifa.
He argued that modern antisemitism survives by adapting its accusations rather than relying on crude slurs that have lost credibility.
Antisemitism now presents itself as a broader indictment that casts Jews and the Jewish state as responsible for the world’s ills, Lévy said.
He also described confronting pro-Palestinian encampments on American university campuses over the past year and warned of a new form of hatred presented through the language of solidarity.
“What is different today, compared with the 1930s, is that a Jew facing persecution no longer has many safe places to go. In Israel, you are threatened on seven fronts. In the United States, antisemitism is surging — just as it is almost everywhere else. Europe, of course, is no exception; the entire continent is being swept by the fever. And as for the Global South, the situation may be even worse. For the first time, antisemitism is rising everywhere at once, at the same pace and with the same intensity,” Lévy told eJewishPhilanthropy after his speech.
Lévy, who has warned about antisemitism for 50 years, also addressed the potential role of academic conferences and a new academic journal in combating the phenomenon.
He warned about the growing role of artificial intelligence in amplifying antisemitic narratives and discussed the response he believes is needed from Jewish philanthropists.
The Contemporary Antisemitism Haifa 2026 conference brought together about 220 in-person presenters and remote participants from some 20 countries.
The gathering focused on contemporary antisemitism, including within academia, and issues involving Zionism and Israel.
Keynote speakers included Lévy, Ambassador (ret.) Prof. Deborah Lipstadt, Prof. Irwin Cotler, Prof. Karin Stögner and Prof. David Hirsh.
The conference was hosted by the University of Haifa’s Elizabeth and Tony Comper Center. It followed the 2025 London gathering and will be followed by a Philadelphia conference in 2027.