Avi Benlolo
National Post, Nov. 26, 2022
“It’s game on when it comes to scrutinizing the victimization of the Jewish people and questioning why this particular definition of antisemitism is considered polarizing despite its wide international acceptance.”
Here is the inconvenient truth: the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) “working definition” of antisemitism is not polarizing to anyone other than Israel’s detractors and antisemites. This is what I told the Toronto Star’s editors in response to a controversial article they published last week with the headline: “Why the definition of antisemitism has become such a polarizing issue.”
According to Star columnist Shree Paradkar, the IHRA definition itself is “not controversial”. It states that “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 institutions and religious facilities.”
It’s the 11 examples of antisemitism listed in the definition that Paradkar seems to take an issue with. She specifically brings attention to the one example that says, “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour.” Israel is not a racist endeavour. So why is Paradkar taking any issue and focusing on this singular example?
The IHRA definition has been adopted by three dozen nations, at least six Canadian provinces and numerous states in the U.S. Hundreds of universities in the U.K. have endorsed the definition and this has extended into the United States. Municipalities like Vancouver, Toronto and Vaughan, corporations and even European soccer leagues have endorsed the definition in order to root out antisemitism. In fact, I participated in a recent ceremony where the Austrian Football Association signed on to the definition, which was adopted by England’s Chelsea Football Club two years ago. … SOURCE
