Pro-Israel activists from around the world will meet at the UN’s main hall to show support for the Jewish state and learn how to combat the anti-Israel BDS movement. 

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon will host an anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) conference at the UN.

More than 2,000 pro-Israel activists, students, and representatives from organizations opposing BDS are expected to take part in the event on March 29. This is the second time a significant anti-BDS show of support for Israel at the UN will take place.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, the first US governor to sign anti-BDS legislation into law, will address the conference participants in the General Assembly Hall. Since assuming her post as ambassador, Haley has come out strongly against the UN’s bias and prejudice against the Jewish state and has expressed her unequivocal support for Israel.

Other important speakers include, among others, World Jewish Congress President Ambassador Ronald Lauder and Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky.

‘We Must Stand Up for What is Right’

“This is a new era at the UN in which we are voicing a clear call in support of Israel. We will gather in the General Assembly Hall and stand against the attempts by the BDS movement to infiltrate the UN and harm Israel,” Danon stated. “This gathering is on the frontlines of our battle against the global BDS movement.  Israel has countless supporters who work tirelessly against these forces of darkness.  Now is the time for us all to come together as a united front, as we face this challenge.”

“In the UN, international institutions, and academic forums, we are witnessing a dangerous form of anti-Semitism in the attempts to delegitimize Israel and deny the Jewish people their right to security and sovereignty. The BDS movement does not seek peace, it seeks the destruction of the State of Israel,” said Lauder. “This is undeniably anti-Semitic and it must never become acceptable. We must stand up for what is right and expose BDS for the fraud that it is. We cannot fight anti-Semitism and the delegitimization of Israel alone. We must work together to spread the truth and to make sure that the world knows: This is not just a Jewish problem, it is a problem that concerns us all.”

Following the plenary session, conference participants will have a chance to hear three panel discussions focusing on the major issues at the heart of the fight against BDS: Social and digital media, academic campuses around the world, and the private and business sectors. The panels will feature internationally renowned experts in their respective fields, as well as representatives with firsthand experience in confronting the challenges of BDS.

By: Max Gelber, United with Israel