J7 global task force convenes in London to discuss combating global antisemitism

Leaders of the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism gathered in London on Monday for a multi-day summit of international consultations focused on countering rising global antisemitism, before extending their mission to Ireland on Tuesday.

The J7 coalition comprises major Jewish community organizations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and Argentina. Formed in response to soaring rates of antisemitic incidents worldwide, the task force unites these Diaspora organizations to coordinate policy strategies, tech policy, security initiatives, and educational approaches against Jew hatred.

The multi-day summit comes as the J7’s latest annual report found that 2025 was the deadliest year for Jews living outside Israel since 1994, with the UK among the countries that recorded an increase in antisemitic incidents.

As part of the summit, delegates met with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in London on Monday to press UK officials regarding government stances under new leader Andy Burnham.

The group expressed serious concern about recent UK Government measures and rhetoric targeting Israel and the detrimental impact this decision had on their own countries and communities.

Sharp rise in global antisemitism, Iranian regime threat, proliferation of hate

Representatives discussed the sharp rise in global antisemitism, the threat posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies, the growing proliferation of online hate, and the continued demonization of Israel, including in rhetoric, from many of those in elected office and public life, which all too often serves as a vehicle for antisemitic rhetoric, incitement, and behavior.

The J7 welcomed Miliband’s expression of the “abhorrence” of the motion against Zionism at the recent Green Party conference and his affirmation of the importance of the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

During the meeting, J7 leaders also proposed a new international ministerial task force on antisemitism and welcomed Miliband’s agreement to host an inaugural meeting.

ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said, “We had a direct and productive conversation with Foreign Secretary Miliband. While there are areas of strong disagreement, we identified some common concerns, including our shared view on the bigoted anti-Zionism of the Green Party; the need to curb the wave of vicious harassment and hostile rhetoric directed at the British Jewish community; and the necessity of mitigating the expanding threat of online antisemitism enabled by AI and social media. But this was just the first conversation. We intend to keep pushing for action and demanding accountability.”

Following the meeting, Miliband said in a statement, “Antisemitism has no place in our society. Jewish communities must be able to live freely and safely, without fear of discrimination, abuse, or violence. The rise in antisemitic incidents across a number of countries demands a coordinated international response. Today’s discussion helped identify practical ways that governments, communities and international partners can work together to tackle antisemitism and share what works.”

As the summit began on Monday, UK Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced in Parliament a public inquiry into the murders of two men, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, killed in a terror attack carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur in October 2025.

Continuing their mission on Tuesday, the task force traveled to Ireland and gathered in Dublin’s Herzog Park to stand in solidarity with the local Jewish community and raise concerns over rising antisemitic rhetoric and actions in the country.

Named in 1995 in honor of Israel’s sixth president Chaim Herzog, the son of Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, a former chief rabbi of Ireland (1921-1936), the park was the center of a heated national controversy in late November and December 2025, when a city council push to strip away Herzog’s name sparked opposition before being suspended and shelved.

'No Jew... should ever feel they must choose between being proudly Irish and proudly Jewish'

Addressing the gathering, Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, spoke about the historic vulnerability and resilience of the local community, telling the delegates, “We are a small community of just 2,200 people, but our roots in Ireland stretch back centuries. I can think of no more fitting place to welcome you than Herzog Park... The attempt to remove his name was deeply hurtful to our community and is typical of the ubiquitous, ambient antisemitism that reflects a growing hostility that Irish Jews increasingly encounter. No Jew in Ireland should ever feel they must choose between being proudly Irish and proudly Jewish.”

Cohen noted that between “July 2025 and January 2026, we recorded 143 antisemitic incidents, a deeply troubling number for a community of our size. We are grateful for the increased attention of An Garda Síochána, but we need more than expressions of concern. We need practical security measures, political leadership, and a clear recognition that antisemitism, whatever language it is dressed in, has no place in Irish society. We are not asking for special treatment.”

Delivering a statement on behalf of the J7, Jonathan Greenblatt told the delegates, “Today, we stand in solidarity with Ireland’s Jewish community and sound the alarm about antisemitic rhetoric and actions here in Ireland, before they escalate further.

As Maurice mentioned, of all the places we visited today, we chose to gather here in Herzog Park... Last year, a campaign to strip his name from this park was rightly condemned by Irish government leaders as an act that transcends political debate and instead targets Jewish memory itself.”

Greenblatt noted that although Ireland is not a J7 member country, the task force included a special chapter on Ireland in its latest annual report using data from the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland.

“Anti-Israel rhetoric in Ireland is creating an increasingly hostile environment for Ireland’s Jews, directly affecting the safety and daily lives of this small, historic Jewish community,” Greenblatt said.

“While Ireland’s national police have certainly increased their surveillance and security presence, there remains an urgent need for dedicated security funding for the Jewish community. Ireland cannot afford to wait for a tragedy before taking action. We are calling on the Irish Government to introduce concrete, preventative measures now. That means dedicated security funding for Jewish communal and educational institutions, consistent enforcement of hate crime legislation, and clear political accountability when rhetoric demonizes Jews or crosses the line into antisemitism,” Greenblatt said.

The task force also met on Monday with the Union of Jewish Students in London as well as the Community Security Trust – which provides advice, training, representation, security services, and research to the UK’s Jewish Community – and will be meeting with government and Jewish leaders in the coming days.