New antisemitism thinktank takes fight to academia

I participated in the inaugural conference of the new London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (LCSCA) on 11 September, together with South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) Vice-President Mary Kluk and National Director Wendy Kahn. I was among those presenting papers at the conference, my subject being the Bongani Masuku case and its implications for international Jewry.

The centre was established by our good friend and esteemed colleague, Dr David Hirsh, who for many years has been among those at the forefront of combating antisemitism in the academic sphere, including boycotts driven by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement of Israeli scholars and their supporters. David would have been familiar with my topic, having been one of the expert witnesses we brought out to testify at our Masuku hearing in the Equality Court. A few years prior to that, he testified on our behalf in another high-profile hate speech case, namely the equally long running (and from the point of view of South African jurisprudence just as significant) Radio 786 matter. Much of the success we achieved in those two cases can be attributed to his erudition and expertise, as well as the respect for and scrupulous adherence to fundamental scholarly norms and standards that characterises all his work.

The stated mission of the LCSCA is “to challenge the intellectual underpinnings of antisemitism in public life and to confront the hostile environment for Jews in universities”. Elaborating on this in his message of support, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis commented that for one’s words to carry weight, they must be backed up by authoritative and reliable facts and figures. The battle against antisemitism frequently had to be waged within the arena of ideas, he said, and nowhere was this more evident than on university campuses. For this reason, the establishment of the LCSCA was to be greatly welcomed. We fully concur with Mirvis’ words, wish Dr Hirsh and the LCSCA every success, and look forward to what we hope will be many fruitful collaborations between our two organisations in future.

The dominant global news story of the past week has been the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of King Charles III. It was thus extremely meaningful for us to be in London at this defining moment in contemporary British history and to be able to join with innumerable well-wishers in paying our respects at Buckingham Palace. The SAJBD has extended its condolences to the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the British government, emphasising the late Queen’s unswerving devotion to duty and how she made herself a symbol and standard bearer of the values of civility, loyalty, and ethical behaviour, both in her official capacity and in her private life.

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