On May 19th, Professors Abraham Bell and Anne Bayefsky opened LDB’s Summer Speaker Series with a timely and informative webinar on “The Current Crisis, Gaza, Hamas and Durban IV.” Bayefsky and Bell provided unique perspectives on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the anti-Semitism associated with the United Nations’ Durban Conference. Professor Bell, speaking from Jerusalem, focused on the recent air strikes and the legal controversy involving Sheikh Jarrah. Responding to the international backlash to the Israeli air strikes, Professor Bell explained how, “What they’re doing is unfortunately a part of the Hamas campaign” which relies on “utilizing the rhetoric of international law together with the expected ignorance of the audience to whom they are speaking to try to justify adverse treatment of the Jewish state.” Shifting the discussion to Sheikh Jarrah, Professor Bell rebutted the misconception that the eviction case before the Israeli Supreme Court is the reason behind Hamas’s actions. He explained the court case as a longstanding but highly misunderstood dispute regarding private property rights between a landlord and tenants. In response to a question from one of the Brandeis Center’s JIGSAW Fellow law students, Bell clarified how the same property laws apply to both Palestinians and Israelis. Professor Bayefsky addressed the political rather than military efforts to end the state of Israel through portraying Israel as racist. Having attended the original Durban, South Africa, United Nations Conference in 2001 on behalf of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, Professor Bayefsky spoke about how the idea that “Zionism is racism” permeated both the government conference and the parallel NGO Forum and continues to infuse all subsequent United Nations Durban Conferences. Professor Bayefsky praised President Biden’s decision to boycott the 20th anniversary events of the Durban Conference. Bayefsky acknowledged that Australia and Canada have subsequently joined the United States in boycotting. On the other hand, she observed that Germany, France. the United Kingdom have so far refused to take a position. Alluding to these undecided countries, she said, “I encourage people to make their voices heard. This is completely unacceptable for these countries not to join forces with the United States, Canada, and Australia to pull out of Durban and to reject once and for all the lie that Jewish self-determination is somehow xenophobic or racist in itself.” The Summer Speaker Series will continue next with Attorney Mark Rotenberg speaking about “Academic Freedom Issues in the Fight Against Antisemitism” on June 9th. You can watch the full webinar here. You can register for the Summer Speaker Series here.