B’nai B’rith International commends the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for adopting a working definition of anti-Semitism, one that includes examples of anti-Israel hatred. The government of Romania, which currently holds the chairmanship of IHRA, hosted the plenary in Bucharest at which the measure was approved.

​IHRA’s definition mirrors one created in 2005 by the European Union Monitoring Centre Against Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). The new working definition provides an extensive explanation of anti-Semitism, including how it pertains to Israel. Some of the definitions of anti-Semitism are: “Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion. Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.”

We praise IHRA for embracing this new definition at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world. We challenge governments and international organizations to adopt either the IHRA or EUMC definitions, so that such measures become more widely disseminated. In order to combat the problem of anti-Semitism, it is essential that we first accurately define it.