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Bernard-Henri Lévy and German officials withdraw from antisemitism conference as Israel invites far-right politicians

They withdraw after learning who is on Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli’s guest list

March 16, 2025 13:34
Bernard-Henri Lévy (Photo: Getty)
Bernard-Henri Lévy has pulled out of a conference in Jerusalem on combating antisemitism, citing the organisers' decision to invite leaders of far-right European parties (Getty)
2 min read

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and two German officials have cancelled their participation in an Israeli government-organised conference on combating antisemitism, following concerns over the inclusion of far-right European figures on the guest list.

The event, scheduled for March 26 and 27, is being organised by Israel’s Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, who has faced criticism for his efforts to strengthen Israel’s ties with Europe’s far-right parties, which had previously been boycotted due to their associations with antisemitism and Nazism.

Last month, Chikli said there was “no more pathetic doormat” than Sir Keir Starmer after the British Prime Minister made no mention of Hamas in a statement about former hostage Eli Sharabi’s release from captivity. 

Prominent far-right figures invited to the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism include Jordan Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Rally party; French MEP Marion Maréchal, a far-right Member of the European Parliament; and Hermann Tertsch, a far-right Spanish Member of the European Parliament.