Joint Declaration of Second-Annual Mayors Summit Against Anti-Semitism

Athens hosted municipal leaders from more than 50 cities and 23 countries for the second-annual Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism November 30-December 1, 2022. The event was chaired by the City of Athens and Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, and co-organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and Center for Jewish Impact (CJI), in partnership with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Community of Athens, and Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS). At the conclusion, participating mayors signed the following joint declaration expressing their commitment to “fighting antisemitism in all its manifestations with a cities-oriented approach” in realms including education, law enforcement, and interfaith relations, among others, and expressing support for use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism as a “guide and educational tool.”

This historic gathering stands as a symbol of hope and a promise for a better and more inclusive future amid a disturbing wave of antisemitic bigotry sweeping over the world.

We are saddened by today’s resurgence of this age-old societal scourge. In too many cities across the globe, antisemitism is prevalent throughout public life, in the forms of physical violence, verbal harassment, political extremism, and targeted vandalism.

As municipal leaders, we have a unique ability to confront antisemitism at the local level, on the ground, where its effects are most viscerally felt by our Jewish constituents, and we must be vigilant against all modern and classical iterations of Jew-hatred.

We came from far and wide this week to Athens, Greece, to share innovative ideas and best practices in pursuit of a common goal— the ultimate eradication of religious hatred and prejudice from our communities.

Therefore, as this summit comes to an end, we, as partners in this critical endeavor, commit to ﬁghting antisemitism in all its manifestations with a cities-oriented approach through cooperation in the following areas:

EDUCATING the public, particularly future generations, about the origins and impacts of antisemitism, the Holocaust, and Jewish heritage.

Prejudice is fueled by ignorance, and knowledge and familiarity are keys to building more tolerant societies.

RAISING the awareness of local law enforcement of the challenges faced by minority Jewish populations, and providing these agencies with the resources needed to effectively protect Jewish lives and property.

IDENTIFYING antisemitism wherever it appears, no matter the motive or ideology of its perpetrator.

To this end, we support the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Deﬁnition of Antisemitism—and its 11 accompanying examples of speciﬁc discriminatory behaviors targeting the Jewish people—as a guide and educational tool to delineate contemporary antisemitism.

PROMOTING interfaith relations by fostering meaningful dialogue and exchanges between different communities in our cities, to nurture atmospheres of cross-religious solidarity and harmony.