All articles tagged with #ihra definition
Columbia University has adopted the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism to secure the restoration of $400 million in federal grants, amid criticism that the definition conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism and may restrict academic freedom, following similar moves by Harvard and under pressure from government and pro-Israel groups.
Columbia University is taking additional steps to combat antisemitism, including formally adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, appointing coordinators to handle related complaints, expanding training and educational programs, and reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and hate, especially against Jewish and Israeli communities.
The Biden administration has released a 60-page strategy to counter anti-Semitism in the US, citing a rise in hate crimes that disproportionately impact American Jews. However, some Jewish and anti-hate groups have criticized the plan, saying it misses the mark and doesn't use the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which is favored by numerous mainstream Jewish organizations. The White House strategy calls several definitions of anti-Semitism "valuable," including the non-legally binding "working definition" of anti-Semitism adopted in 2016 by the 31-member states of the IHRA. Some groups argue that President Biden has chosen a diluted definition of the term that doesn't say it's anti-Semitic to oppose Israel's creation or hold the Jewish state to different standards than other countries.
The White House is facing pressure from some on the left to not adopt the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in its forthcoming national antisemitism strategy, arguing that it does not leave sufficient space for critiques of Israel. The IHRA definition identifies some forms of anti-Zionism as antisemitism. The White House has been consulting with both mainstream and progressive Jewish groups on how they would react to the inclusion or exclusion of the IHRA definition, and it remains unclear what the final draft might entail.