Report on trends in the delegitimisation of Israel

The International Legal Forum (ILF) is an Israeli NGO dedicated to coordinating legal strategies and responses to anti-Semitism, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and terrorism. The ILF has a network of over 3,000 lawyers in over 30 countries worldwide. ILF incorporates the work and expertise of local experts on the ground in different countries with understanding of Israeli laws, policies and reality. This combination allows ILF to view trends from a global point of view and enables a coordinated network which has access to information, best practices and an improved ability to make strategic decisions on the basis of global or regional trends.

ILF recently published a report ’Summary of Trends & Key Events of 2020 – Looking Ahead Towards 2021‘. The report is “aimed to summarize the prominent trends of 2020, primarily in North America and Western Europe. Additionally, it offers projections for 2021 based on these current trends, analyses the strategic reasons behind them, and offers ILF’s opinion as to the focus of the work to counter anti-Semitism and delegitimization in the year to come.“

According to ILF, 2020 has been a unique and complex year in many respects, and the battle against anti-Semitism and delegitimization is no different. While many thought that a global crisis threatening people’s lives, health and financial future would distract anti-Semites from their obsession with the Jewish state and the Jewish people, reality has proven the exact opposite. Anti-Jewish conspiracy theories have continued to increase, as they have consistently in previous years.

One of the interesting developments ILF reveals is a significant shift in strategy and practice, as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel groups are moving the focus to Zionism, which they are working hard to decouple from Jewish identity or experience.

ILF writes that the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab countries present a variety of new opportunities. These countries have taken incredible steps to promote tolerance, religious coexistence between Muslims and Jews and regional cooperation and prosperity. Hopefully, 2021 will see a growing circle of acceptance and peace between Israel and the Arab/Muslim world. But this will likely continue to bring opposition from reactionary anti-normalization forces including the use of crude anti-Semitic formulations. Israel and Jewish communities will need to find the right tools to communicate their positions and to reach out to audiences in the Arab/Muslim world. We wholeheartedly recommend the Report. Continue reading here.