The leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Sunday commended the Biden administration after it reiterated its support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
The statement came after US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday, “The United States unequivocally condemns antisemitism and views the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism as integral to the fight to eliminate this scourge. It is widely accepted and used throughout the world by governments, international organizations, religious and sports entities, and other civil society organizations, which sends a powerful message of solidarity against antisemitism. Bipartisan U.S. administrations have embraced and used the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, inclusive of its examples, as a policy tool.”
“A recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism misrepresented the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, urging suspension of the broadly endorsed definition. In an era of rapidly rising global antisemitism, now is not the time to discard one of the most fundamental and critical tools in the arsenal to combat it. We call on other countries and organizations to embrace the IHRA Working Definition, as we work together to counter this global threat,” he added.
Dianne Lob, Chair, and William Daroff, CEO, of the Conference of Presidents said in response on Sunday, “The IHRA definition is the most authoritative and internationally accepted definition of antisemitism to date. This further endorsement by the Biden administration speaks to its universal acceptance – thirty-nine nations, as well as hundreds of local governments, academic institutions, NGOs, and other entities formally adopted in different ways the IHRA definition of antisemitism. To effectively combat antisemitism, we must first define it.”
“We thank the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt and Deputy Special Envoy Aaron Keyak for their diligence in promoting the IHRA definition and for their efforts to ensure American leadership in combating antisemitism on the global stage,” they added.
The IHRA working definition offers a comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial and, sometimes controversially, the way antisemitism relates to the ways criticism of Israel is expressed.
More than half the states in the US have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition, plus the District of Columbia, either as legislation or as an educational standard.
The definition has also been adopted by a host of countries, including Albania, Australia, Canada, Germany, Britain, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, France, Cyprus and Argentina.