TORONTO, Canada โ Hundreds of attendees gathered in Toronto on May 17 for the World Symposium Against Antizionism, an international conference organized by the Tafsik Organization and Stop Antizionism that focused on the growing global debate surrounding antizionism, antisemitism, Israel advocacy, and Jewish communal security.
Organizers described the event as the first major international symposium dedicated specifically to confronting antizionism as a contemporary form of Jew-hatred. The conference took place in Toronto amid heightened tensions within Canadaโs Jewish community following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel and the subsequent surge in anti-Israel activism, campus protests, and antisemitic incidents reported across North America.
According to organizers, more than 600 attendees registered for the event, which featured a full day of panels, keynote addresses, and discussions involving academics, journalists, legal experts, media personalities, and activists from Canada, the United States, Israel, and other countries.
Among the featured speakers was conservative American commentator Ben Shapiro, whose participation drew significant public attention ahead of the event. Organizers also promoted appearances by Israeli public diplomacy advocate Eylon Levy, former Israeli parliamentarian Einat Wilf, activist Brigitte Gabriel, and Australian journalist Erin Molan.
Panels throughout the symposium addressed subjects including antisemitism on university campuses, social media radicalization, anti-Israel activism within international institutions, the historical roots of Soviet antizionism, and the impact of anti-Israel rhetoric on Jewish communities worldwide.
Organizers said the conference was intended not only as an educational forum, but also as a strategic effort to build a broader international movement framing antizionism as a discriminatory ideology targeting Jewish self-determination and Jewish collective identity.
โNaming it the World Symposium Against Antizionism, we are saying to the Jewish community and to our bullies and to those who want to destroy Israel, we see you,โ organizer Naya Lekht of Stop Antizionism told The Times of Israel ahead of the conference.
According to conference materials, organizers promoted the gathering as an effort to confront what they called โthe third era of Jew-hatred,โ arguing that antizionism increasingly functions as a socially acceptable framework for hostility toward Jews and toward the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state.
The event also reflected growing activism among pro-Israel organizations in Canada seeking stronger responses to antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric in public institutions, education systems, workplaces, and digital platforms.
The Tafsik Organization has become increasingly visible within Canadaโs Jewish advocacy landscape over the past year through legal initiatives, educational campaigns, student support efforts, and public events focused on antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism.
Security surrounding the symposium was reportedly extensive. Ticketing information released before the event stated that government-issued identification matching ticket registrations would be required for entry, reflecting broader concerns surrounding threats and protests targeting Jewish and pro-Israel events across Canada since October 7.
Toronto has emerged as one of the central arenas in Canadaโs ongoing public debate over antisemitism, anti-Israel demonstrations, and freedom of expression. Jewish organizations in the city have repeatedly raised concerns regarding harassment, intimidation, and hostility directed toward visibly Jewish individuals and institutions during anti-Israel demonstrations and campus protests.
At the same time, critics of the symposium argued online that opposition to Zionism can constitute political criticism of Israeli government policy rather than antisemitism itself. Organizers and speakers rejected that distinction in many cases, arguing that contemporary antizionist movements frequently deny the Jewish people the same national rights afforded to other groups.
The conference concluded with calls for expanded advocacy efforts, legal action against antisemitic discrimination, increased public education regarding Zionism, and stronger cooperation between Jewish organizations and non-Jewish allies.
Organizers have already indicated that they hope to make the symposium an annual international gathering, with discussions reportedly underway about holding next yearโs conference in the United States.
