It is being billed as the world's largest summit on anti-Semitism and hate, hosted at the Javits Center by the Anti-Defamation League. It comes at a time when incidents of anti-Semitism are the highest ever recorded in the ADL's 42-year history. A rate that has quadrupled in just eight years.
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"This is the mantra 'Never again.' We will never go through the Holocaust again. And we say 'Never Is Now' because we are concerned," ADL NY/NJ Regional Director Scott Richman said.
Just two and a half percent of the U.S. population is Jewish, but account for nearly two thirds of all reported religious hate crimes.
"What we can do, and will always do, is bring the full force of the FBI and our partners to bear across the country and in every community when someone threatens or commits violence," FBI Director Christopher Wray, a guest speaker at the event, said.
Nike announced last week that it had suspended its relationship with Nets player Kyrie Irving after he Tweeted a link to a film containing anti-Semitic rhetoric. The company president told ESPN that it would likely be permanent.
After Kanye West's anti-Semitic diatribe last month, Adidas cut ties with him. A decision explained at the conference by the company's North American president.
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"We are not perfect. But in this case, we know, without a doubt, we made the right decision. We know that without a doubt. The racist and anti-Semitic hate speech by our former partner violated our values," Rupert Campbell said.
Organizers say corporate responsibility is a force for change.
"People standing up-people making a statement against hate who are in positions of influence-that matters," Richman said.
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