The Antisemitism definition missing from the public record

July 5, 2024

In all the discussions on social, print and other media concerning antisemitism’s definition, there is almost a complete lack of acknowledgement of the existence of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA).

Specifically there is no discussion about the differences between JDA’s definition of antisemitism in relation to criticism of Israel/Palestine, and the definition espoused by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

I believe that such a comparison is long overdue in the media and isn’t just an academic exercise in terminology or semantics.

As clearly outlined in your article, the IHRA’s antisemitism’s definition is one of the main strategies used to prevent valid criticism of Israel’s actions and also to smear and defame anyone making such criticism. Paradoxically, but also quite deliberately, this strategy targets Jewish critics of Israel’s actions as “antisemitic”, as well as all non-Jewish critics.

I believe that it would greatly assist in cancelling out the validity of labeling any criticism of Israel as antisemitic, if more commentators in the media publicize the JDA as a challenge to the almost universal deference to the IHRA.

Yours sincerely Dr George Nossar FAFOEM (RACP) Retired physician