PM backs new definition of antisemitism

NOTE: The unacceptable example of antisemitism given in the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) statement is:

Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour.

1)  It takes for granted that ‘the Jewish people have a right to self-determination’ which is, at least questionable. See  ‘Self-determination’ is not a right by Robert Cohen. 2) There is a valid argument that ‘the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour’ and those who put it should not be silenced on the grounds that it is antisemitic.

There is 1) a Guardian article and 2) collective letter in this posting.

Theresa May as Home Secretary and Eric Pickles, as minister for Communities and Local Government attend #NousSommesJuifs, a Board of Deputies event on January 18th, 2015 to commemorate the lives lost in the Paris terrorist attacks on January 7th, 2015. These began with the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo office [not an anti-Jewish assault], the killing of two police officers [not Jewish] and ended with the killing of four people at a kosher supermarket at Porte de Vincennes, Paris. Photo by Stefan Wermuth/ Reuters

UK adopts antisemitism definition to combat hate crime against Jews

Britain among first countries to use new definition that includes over-sweeping condemnation of Israel

By Peter Walker, Political correspondent, The Guardian
@peterwalker99

December 12, 2016

The government is to formally adopt a definition of what constitutes antisemitism, which includes over-sweeping condemnation of Israel, with Theresa May saying the measure will help efforts to combat hate crime against Jews.

Britain will become one of the first countries to use this definition of antisemitism, as agreed last May at a conference of the Berlin-based International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the prime minister will say in London.

A Downing Street statement said the intention of such a definition was to “ensure that culprits will not be able to get away with being antisemitic because the term is ill-defined, or because different organisations or bodies have different interpretations of it”.

The IHRA’s definition reads: “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.”

More detailed guidance on this, released by the IHRA in May, said this could include criticisms which target Israel, if this was “conceived as a Jewish collectivity”. It added: “However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”

The guidance says it could be considered antisemitic to accuse Jews of being more loyal to Israel or their religion than to their own nations, or to say the existence of Israel is intrinsically racist.

There will be one definition of antisemitism – and anyone guilty of that will be called out on it
Theresa May

Concerns about criticism of Israel as a state potentially crossing into overt antisemitism has had particular recent resonance in British politics over recent months, with the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, commissioning a report into the issue in his party.

In October, the vice-chair of the Corbyn-supporting group Momentum, Jackie Walker, was removed from her post in the wake of remarks questioning the need for security at Jewish schools, and about Holocaust Memorial Day.

A series of Jewish MPs have also faced online abuse. In October, a man was jailed for sending antisemitic messages to the Labour MP Luciana Berger. In December, a man was convicted of harassing the same MP with antisemitic rants.

A spokeswoman for Corbyn said he and Labour agreed with the IHRA’s definition. She said: “Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party share the view that language or behaviour that displays hatred towards Jews is antisemitism, and is as repugnant and unacceptable as any other form of racism.”

According to excerpts of her speech released in advance, May will say:

It is unacceptable that there is antisemitism in this country. It is even worse that incidents are reportedly on the rise. As a government we are making a real difference and adopting this measure is a groundbreaking step.

It means there will be one definition of antisemitism – in essence, language or behaviour that displays hatred towards Jews because they are Jews – and anyone guilty of that will be called out on it.

Police forces already use a version of the IHRA definition to help officers decide what could be considered antisemitism.

In a speech last month, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, recommitted the government to providing extra security for Jewish schools, synagogues and other community buildings.

Referring to the threat both from Islamist militancy and from a renewed surge in rightwing extremism, she said:

We take the security of the Jewish community seriously, and we will continue to put in place the strongest possible measures to ensure the safety of this community and all other communities, too.

^{Theresa May at a CST event with, R, Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, L Gerald Ronson a founder of CST}

Fears new definition of antisemitism will stifle criticism of Israel

Letter, The Guardian

December 16, 2016

You report that the government is going to adopt a “new definition” of antisemitism in order to prevent an “over-sweeping condemnation of Israel” (Britain to pioneer new antisemitism definition, 12 December). The new definition has nothing to do with opposing antisemitism, it is merely designed to silence public debate on Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians. Antisemitic incidents comprise about 2% of all hate crime. Why then the concentration on antisemitism and not on Islamophobia, which is far more widespread? The suspicion must be that the real concern is not with antisemitism but with Britain’s support for Israel.

Israel claims to be “the only democracy in the Middle East.” Palestinians who live under Israeli occupation are governed by a wholly different set of laws than Jewish settlers. This makes Israel the world’s only apartheid state and thus deserving of strong condemnation and the target of boycott, divestment and sanctions. We agree that it is antisemitic to associate Jews with the actions of the Israeli state. Unfortunately this is precisely what the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition will achieve through perpetuating the stereotype that all Jews support the Israeli state. The IHRA will strengthen not weaken antisemitism. There is a very simple definition of antisemitism from Oxford University’s Brian Klug. Antisemitism is “a form of hostility towards Jews as ‘Jews’.” The IHRA definition smuggles in anti-Zionism, in the guise of antisemitism, as a means of protecting the Israeli state and thus western foreign policy.

Tony Greenstein
Jacqueline Walker *
Miriam Margolyes *
Professor Haim Bresheeth *
Professor Nira Yuval-Davis *
Michael Sackin *
Dr Derek Summerfield King’s College
Professor Roger Iredale
Averil Parkinson Cambridge Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Dr Vacy Vlazna Coordinator, Justice for Palestine Matters
Vicky Moller Child survivor of the Holocaust
Dr Cathy Rozel Farnworth
Rica Bird *
Chantal Cameron
Robert Cohen *
Brian Chinnery
Mike Cushman *
Deborah Darnes
Patrick Darnes
Helen Dickson
Tony Dickinson
Greg Dropkin
Mark Elf
Deborah Fink *
Kenny Fryde
Terry Gallogly
Judy Granville
James Hall
William Hanna
Jenny Hardacre
Abe Hayeem *
Alain Hertzmann
Doug Holton
Grahame Humphreys
John Leigh-Brown
Penny Leigh-Brown
Leah Levane *
Les Levidow
Richard Lightbown
Beverley Lloyd
Kathy McCubbing
Elizabeth Morley *
Diana Neslen *
Caroline O’Reilly
Edmond O’Reilly
Juergen Peter
Nicola Pratt University of Warwick
Roland Rance
Janine Reed
Bronwen Roberts
Donald Saunders
Ian Saville *
Miriam Scharf
Richard Seaford
Roddy Slorach
Charles Stuart
Jean Sullivan
Bernice Walker
Adam Waterhouse
Eric Willoughby
Dorothy Wilson
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi *
* JfJfP signatory

See also: Rushing for ways to define criticism of Israel as antisemitic