A top German media executive stated on Monday that he is "a goy" - a non-Jew - and "a Zionist," urging the World Jewish Congress in Geneva to battle antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and online extremism before they erode Western democracy.

Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer - which owns Politico and Business Insider - spoke at a WJC Governing Board meeting commemorating 90 years since the group's founding in Geneva in 1936.

"I never want to give or hear another 'Never Again' speech," Döpfner declared, per a copy of his address. "'Never Again' has turned into empty rhetoric."

He criticized the phrase as "a moral promise without action," pointing to the muted global response after the October 7 atrocities as proof that Western societies ignore their own teachings.

Antisemitism has reached a dangerous new phase since October 7, infiltrating campuses, arts venues, social networks, and urban areas, Döpfner warned.

'Why should Zionism be only for Jews?'

"Images of the victims emerged, and immediately the minimizing started. Names of those killed surfaced, and excuses followed," he noted.

Döpfner offered a broad endorsement of Zionism, arguing that support for Israel belongs to Jews and gentiles equally.

"What baffles me is this: Why must Zionism remain an ideal solely for Jews?" he asked. "I am a goy. And I am a Zionist."

He portrayed Israel as "a bastion of Western principles in the Middle East" and Zionism as "history's natural outcome."

"A nation's right to secure existence. Self-defense. Independence from others' whims," he listed. "Denying these rights attacks not just Israel, but the foundations of free societies."

Döpfner dismissed the chant "Zionism is racism," countering: "It is not Zionism that embodies racism. Anti-Zionism does."

He targeted social media in his speech, calling out TikTok as a key amplifier of antisemitic and anti-Israel hatred among youth.

"TikTok stands out today as one of the worst tools for spreading extremist material," he charged, noting its dominance as "the top info source for the young."

Big tech platforms dodge accountability that print media cannot, he contended.

"Even a tiny local paper faces legal heat for false or illegal content," Döpfner said. "Yet TikTok, with over two billion users, shoulders almost none."

Europe must emulate the US by mandating a sale of TikTok to non-Chinese buyers, he proposed.

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, who presented Döpfner, lambasted global media's handling of Israel.

"In journalism today, distinguishing BBC from Al Jazeera is tough," Lauder remarked.

He hailed Döpfner as "a righteous gentile," a media standout unafraid to champion Israel openly.

"As news on Israel gets twisted daily, Mathias stays firm," Lauder affirmed.

Lauder linked the WJC's 1936 Geneva launch to current perils for Jews.

"Ninety years back, Jewish darkness loomed - no coincidence we're here again now," he said.

Antisemitism now threatens beyond Jews alone.

"The world must grasp: It's Jews today, everyone tomorrow," Lauder cautioned. "What begins with Jews never stops there."

Döpfner concluded that combating antisemitism falls mainly to non-Jews, testing Western resolve.

"If the free world fails against antisemitism, it dooms itself," he asserted.

He finished with a plea for unity with Israel and Jews.

"We all shall be Zionists," Döpfner urged.