IHRA and the working definition of antisemitism

Unless you are on summer holiday somewhere remote without wifi or communication with the outside world you would doubtless have heard numerous newsreaders and commentators recently make reference to IHRA and the working definition of antisemitism … and the furore over Labour’s reluctance to adopt the definition and its examples in their entirety.

So, what is IHRA? The acronym stands for The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an organisation which unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, research and remembrance and to uphold the commitments to the 2000 Stockholm Declaration. There are 31 members countries represented including the UK, which was one of the three founding nations, led by Lord Eric Pickles. Among the delegates for the UK are AJR’s Chief Executive, Michael Newman and AJR’s Head of Educational Grants & Projects, Alex Maws.

And what of the working definition of antisemitism? This was adopted unanimously at the IHRA Bucharest plenary on 26 May 2016 to guide its own work and was the result of in-depth discussion between international experts and political representatives. The working definition states: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Having two members of our senior team so involved with IHRA helping to ensure the passing of the working definition of antisemitism the AJR strongly feels that the definition should always be adopted in its entirety. Any editing or omitting of clauses or examples renders the code no longer the IHRA’s definition, which has to date been adopted by the UK government as well as the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, more than 130 Councils and the National Union of Students among other public bodies.