An international conference bringing together Jewish and Kurdish leaders, scholars, academics, journalists, activists, and civil society representatives opened in London on Sunday, marking a historic step in building strategic and grassroots solidarity between the two diasporas.
The two-day gathering, titled “Jewish–Kurdish Relations in a Changing Middle East: History, Identity and Future Cooperation,” was organized and hosted by the Jewish Kurdish Network (JKN) London, alongside co-hosting partners the London Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and the Tel Aviv University Moshe Dayan Center Kurdish Studies Department. Participants traveled from Israel, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and across Kurdistan to attend the sessions.
Organizers highlighted that the conference explores one of the Middle East’s oldest relationships, noting that Jewish and Kurdish communities lived side-by-side for approximately 2,700 years across Kurdistan and the wider region.
Today, this shared history is reflected in a large Jewish community of Kurdish heritage living in Israel and Kurdish communities spread across the Middle East and a substantial international diaspora.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, spokespersons for the JKN stated, “For thousands of years, the ancestors of Jews and Kurds lived side-by-side. Thousands of years later, their great-great-grandchildren have come together in London because we believe that this relationship should not belong only to history.” Organizers emphasized that both Jews and Kurds understand what it means to fight for identity, survival, and self-determination, noting their aim “to take the friendship and historical connection between our peoples and turn it into something meaningful for the future, through education, research, political dialogue, cultural exchange, and stronger relationships between our diasporas.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addressed the conference
The conference screened a special video address from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who greeted attendees and expressed support for the event. Addressing the participants, Sa’ar highlighted the long-standing friendship between the Jewish people and the Kurdish nation in the Middle East.
He noted that the Kurdish people represent a minority, spread across four countries, who have regrettably not yet achieved political independence. He emphasized a firm belief in strengthening relations among the various minorities in the Middle East, particularly between Jews and Kurds.
Among the emotional highlights of the gathering was an address by Lisa Mira, an Israeli Jew who spends time in Iraqi Kurdistan supporting Yazidi genocide survivors.
Speaking before the room of delegates, Mira shared raw accounts of her grassroots humanitarian work and the psychological scars carried by women and children rescued from ISIS captivity.
“We are Jews, and you are Kurds, and we have to fight with all our might for this generation,” Mira told the assembly, recounting how survivors often return stripped of identity and deeply traumatized.
Regional changes add urgency to Jewish, Kurdish ties
Describing the profound responsibility shared between the two peoples, she added, “We have a generation of kids who are born in ISIS – their mother and father were the caliphate. When they were finally extracted, they have no one, but they have us.”
The conference program featured seven expert panels examining subjects such as Jewish life in Kurdistan and shared heritage; Zionism and Kurdish national identity; regional transformation and Western policy; genocide, trauma and collective memory; women and civil society; diaspora politics and advocacy; and the role of young Jews and Kurds in shaping the future.
Cultural elements were also integrated into the schedule, including a screening of Kae Bahar’s film No Friends But Mountains, as well as traditional live Kurdish music.
A central focus of the second day is scheduled to be a roundtable titled “From Dialogue to Action: Building a Long-Term Kurdish–Jewish Partnership,” which addresses how relationships established through dialogue can develop into practical cooperation involving universities, civil society organizations, cultural institutions, policymakers, and younger generations.
Kurdish-Swedish journalist and speaker at the conference, Suzan Quitaz, told The Jerusalem Post, “The former mayor of Diyarbakir presented a symbolic gift to Prof. Ofra Bengio from Tel Aviv University, whom the esteemed event dubbed the ‘Mother of the Kurds.’”
Quitaz said there were “powerful speeches of the distortion of genocide and ‘re-inventing’ to suit a current political agenda,” adding, “The feeling among attendees is that Israel is not just an ally but rather, ‘we Kurds and Jews are one family.’”
Organizers noted that the conference takes place at a critical juncture for both peoples, as the regional landscape undergoes dramatic shifts and Kurdish communities in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey face ongoing political and security challenges, while Jewish communities worldwide navigate a sharply transformed environment following the October 7 attacks.
Addressing the diversity of the participants, a spokesperson for JKN emphasized, “This conference is not about claiming that Jews and Kurds agree on everything. Neither community speaks with one voice. What matters is that we are creating a space where people can meet directly, learn from each other, and identify the areas where genuine cooperation is possible.”
She continued, “There is something very powerful about Kurdish and Jewish people sitting together and talking about history, identity, persecution, and survival – but also refusing to define ourselves only through suffering. We want to talk about what we can create together.”
The organizers hope that the London 2026 conference will mark the beginning of a more sustained international network.
“If people leave London with new friendships, new research projects, new institutional connections, and a determination to continue working together, then this conference will have achieved something important,” they said.
“We are honoring 2,700 years of shared history, but our real responsibility is to decide what the next chapter will look like.”