Former U.S. Special Envoy delivers keynote as more than 500 participants from around the globe gather for one of the world’s largest conferences on contemporary antisemitism.

HAIFA, Israel (July 8, 2026) — Former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Prof. Deborah Lipstadt warned on Tuesday that the political far right, the progressive left, and Islamist extremists are increasingly united by antisemitism, arguing that hostility toward Jews has become “the glue that holds these ideological opposites together.”

Speaking at the opening gala of Contemporary Antisemitism Haifa 2026, Lipstadt said she has been struck by what she described as a shared “glee” toward Jews emerging from ideological movements that otherwise have little in common.

“There is a certain pleasure, a certain glee… ‘Aha, for 80 years you got to tell us we did wrong, and now we’re getting to tell you you did wrong,'” Lipstadt said. “I have been taken aback by this, particularly on the left, but not just on the left. Tucker Carlson is saying the same thing.”

Lipstadt warned that the implications extend far beyond the Jewish community.

“This is not only about Jews. It never has been. It is about Western civilization writ large. It is about the future society we wish to build and leave to future generations. No one who values democracy, the rule of law, international stability and security can afford to look away. Far too much is at stake.”

More than 500 participants, including over 300 speakers from around the world, have gathered for the three-day conference hosted by the University of Haifa’s Elizabeth and Tony Comper Center for the Study of Antisemitism and Racism, bringing together leading scholars, policymakers, educators, and public leaders. Featured speakers include former Soviet dissident and Israeli statesman Natan Sharansky, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler, and leading Holocaust historian Prof. Dina Porat. The conference explores the evolving nature of antisemitism in the post-October 7 era and its impact on higher education, law, media, technology, public policy, and democratic institutions.

Speaking during the conference’s opening gala, University of Haifa President Prof. Gur Alroey said universities have a responsibility not only to generate knowledge, but to help address society’s most pressing challenges.

“A university cannot be satisfied with publishing articles and educating students. It must also engage with the society in which it operates, contribute solutions to public challenges, influence public policy, strengthen democratic values, and help shape a resilient and inclusive society,” Prof. Alroey said. “Research should not merely explain the world; it should also help improve it.”

During the opening gala, organizers also formally launched the Contemporary Antisemitism Studies Association (CASA), a new U.S.-UK-Israel academic initiative dedicated to advancing the scholarly study of contemporary antisemitism.

The launch marks a significant milestone in the continued development of contemporary antisemitism studies as an academic field, creating a new international professional home for scholars studying the subject.

Founded through a partnership between the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (United Kingdom), Gratz College (United States), and the Elizabeth and Tony Comper Center for the Study of Antisemitism and Racism at the University of Haifa (Israel), CASA already includes more than 150 founding scholars from around the world.

The association aims to strengthen international research collaboration, establish thematic research networks, launch a new academic journal and scholarly book series, support emerging researchers, and further develop contemporary antisemitism studies as a growing academic field. It will also convene annual international conferences and help translate academic research into practical resources for policymakers, educators, and civil society leaders.

Contemporary Antisemitism Haifa 2026 continues through July 9, featuring dozens of panels and keynote sessions examining antisemitism’s evolving manifestations across politics, higher education, religion, technology, law, and society.