Israel's Diaspora Ministry to be renamed for fighting antisemitism

The Diaspora Affairs Ministry will change its name to Diaspora Affairs and Combat Antisemitism Ministry, incoming Minister Amichai Chikli said on Monday during his incoming ceremony at the ministry. 

“We managed to unite various departments dealing with antisemitism and the fight against the delegitimization of Israel under one roof,” he said. Chikli also called out to organizations and individuals who have initiatives to fight delegitimization of Israel “to continue,” and that he and the ministry will “do everything we can to help.” 

Chikli added that he is “aware of the concerns in the Jewish communities in the world,” regarding the new government and that “I believe that reality will prove that most of the concerns will be false.”

“It is our duty to act so that every Jewish community is interested in Jewish education,” he continued. Chikli added that during his visits to the US he saw “how many Jewish families are unable to pay for private Jewish schools.” The minister also said that he hopes the “heads of the organizations of the civil society can be a multiplier force that increases the activity of this office.”

What does the former Israeli Diaspora affairs minister think?

Outgoing minister Nachman Shai said that the Diaspora Affairs Ministry “is different from other government offices,” since it “isn’t concerned with the here and now, rather the future of the Jewish people. It’s strategic and multi-faceted.” He said of the ministry.

Shai added that therefore, “designated ministers are not fighting for [this ministry], since politics are built on immediate gratifications and immediate successes.” 

Shai said that on his first day as minister he met with three of the senior rabbis of the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements in the US and that his message was that “everyone [all streams] is equal in our eyes. It was a big change to diaspora Jews and it is being threatened again.” He said that as minister, “we opened a new page in Israel-Diaspora relations.”

He concluded by stating that “I encouraged dialogue between the Jewish communities and Israel. I believe that some should express their opinion even if they differ from ours.