The UN last week held a "High-level Forum on Antisemitism" for the first time in its seven-decade history.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told participants via video-link: "Antisemitism is one of the world's oldest and most pernicious and deadly forms of hatred."

Speaking at the event, Danny Danon, Israel's UN Ambassador, described the organisation as: "Another place where some are not ashamed to spread lies and slander about the Jewish people."

The event, however, was not without controversy. Mogens Lykketoft, the current President of the UN general Assembly, took the opportunity to criticise Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. "It's not antisemitic to call for an end of the occupation and oppression of the people of Palestine," he said.

His comments were criticised by the NGO UN Human Rights Watch, which said: "If this were a forum on discrimination against blacks, women or gays, do you think the top UN official would lecture delegates on what statements are not discriminatory?"