Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill Wednesday adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. Texas is the first US state to officially adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.
The State Senate and House of Representatives both passed the bill to adopt the definition without any dissenting votes.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations praised Texas for adopting the widely accepted tool for identifying anti-Semitism.
"We welcome Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s signing of legislation that adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, making Texas the first US state to do so," the Conference of Presidents said in a statement.
"Texas, whose Senate and House of Representatives approved the legislation with nearly unanimous bipartisan support (no legislators voted against the bills), sets an example for the rest of the country by joining the growing global coalition of countries, major cities, and institutions that have rallied behind this key instrument in addressing the urgent threat of antisemitism. It is essential to define antisemitism in order to combat it successfully.
"We thank Governor Abbott and the Texas legislature for their leadership and look forward to seeing the widespread adoption of the IHRA definition continue around the world,” the statement concluded,
28 countries around the world have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism to date.