This week, CFI’s Parliamentary Chairman in the House of Lords Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles was one of the principal speakers at an international meeting for special envoys and coordinators combating antisemitism organised by the World Jewish Congress.
The meeting was a discussion on countering internet hate speech and antisemitic conspiracy myths, with the focus being particularly during Covid-19.
Lord Pickles underlined: “The spread of antisemitism and all forms of hatred online is particularly chilling because the overwhelming response of people in Britain to this crisis has been to pull together and support the collective effort against Covid-19″.
Praising the efforts of British volunteers during this time, he said: “The number of people volunteering to help others, whether as part of the national support for our health system or offering local support for neighbours in isolation, shows the true character of our country”.
Talking of how online hate has surfaced, Lord Pickles asserted: “We cannot be complacent if we really want to challenge fake news and the proliferation of fake attack accounts. We need to have better control of fake attack accounts created by ‘bots’ and where the only followers are ‘bots’. This fake activity gives the impression that there are thousands upon thousands of likeminded individuals supporting hate filled conspiracy theories”.
The online meeting was co-chaired by Mrs. Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism, and Dr. Maram Stern, WJC Executive Vice President.
