JOURNALfor the STUDYof ANTISEMITISM

310 JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF ANTISEMITISM [ VOL. 3:309
addressed the double standard of judging the actions of Jews by one standard
and the Palestinians by another. The debate was lively.
There were several breakout sessions with lectures. Of particular interest
was the forum on “Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: Confronting a
Persistent Menace,” by Andrew Baker, the AJC director of international
Jewish affairs. Rabbi Baker’s analysis of the Dutch approach to antisemitism
illustrated the complicated nature of the phenomenon in Holland. The
audience’s engagement and personal experiences added greatly to the texture
of the breakout sessions.
AJC excels as an advocacy group that fosters the equitable interests of
Jews, Israel, and the world at large. With its specific focus on worldwide
antisemitism, AJC’s nuanced and sophisticated offensive is a bulwark
against the multifaceted expression of antisemitism in the contemporary
world, and lays important methodical groundwork to strengthen the ties
between Jews and non-Jews throughout the world. This was illustrated to
me in a discussion with Antonyia Parvanova, a member of the European
Parliament from Bulgaria. Dr. Parvanova is a member of a faction of the
European Parliament identified as the “Friends of Israel.” These members
attempt to foster a good relationship between the European Union and
Israel. The AJC assists the Friends of Israel with information, personal persuasion,
trips to Israel, and trips to conferences such as this AJC Global
Forum.
AJC is an older group and has begun to seek out Jewish youth. As
such, it encourages Jewish youth from all corners of the globe to involve
themselves with issues concerning Jews, Israel, and antisemitism. At the
end of the Global Forum on Friday, the weekend continued with a youth
conference called Access 20/20 Weekend. The AJC believes that the future
of global Jewish issues is dependent upon the enthusiasm and participation
of today’s youth. It is the young Jews who will be inheriting the legacy of
antisemitism—whether they are prepared is AJC’s concern.