WASHINGTON D.C. – The World Jewish Congress (WJC) participated in the annual Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly on Monday, where Jewish leaders from across North America came together to address the unprecedented challenges regarding Israel’s existence, antisemitic hate crimes emerging across the Diaspora, and the future of Jewish life.
At the General Assembly, leaders, activists, and policymakers collaborated on strategies to strengthen security and Jewish values worldwide, emphasizing solidarity in addressing rising challenges to the Jewish community. Key topics included enhancing the protection of Jewish communities, addressing hate speech and online extremism, and fostering international cooperation to safeguard Jewish heritage and institutions.
Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC’s Executive Director of the Institute for Technology and Human Rights (TECHRI) and Director of International Affairs, participated in a panel addressing the alarming rise of antisemitism across social media platforms like Telegram and Meta. She was joined by Rick Lane, Founder and CEO of IGGY Ventures LLC; Adam Neufeld, Chief Operating Officer of ADL; and Gretchen Barton, Founder of Worthy Strategy Group. Moderated by Jason Wuliger, Chair of the Domestic Policy & Government Affairs Council at the Jewish Federations of North America, the discussion focused on the evolution of online anti-Jewish hatred, potential legislative actions Congress can take, and the vital work of the WJC Institute for Technology and Human Rights in combating this extreme form of hate.
Discussing WJC's TECHRI collaboration with internet platforms, Barak-Cheney emphasized the need for a close partnership with companies, in order to consistently strengthen their policies on antisemitic hate speech. “While it is not necessarily too little, it is many times too late, as these processes within the companies are cumbersome and slow,” she explained. She also emphasized that, “Even when policies are in place, it is the responsibility of the platforms to also ensure they are implemented and executed, or they will be just nice words on the screen of their community standards."
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel powerfully drew attention to the suffering of hostages, including her husband Keith and others still held captive. In a heartfelt plea for justice, she called for a united global effort to defeat forces such as Hamas, declaring, "Evil cannot win. The good has to win in the whole world." Siegel passionately urged, "I want all the hostages to come back to their families... I’m begging because I want Keith home with us," emphasizing the urgent need for their safe return.
