February 7, 2023 — New York
The American Bar Association approved a resolution Monday at its meeting in New Orleans condemning antisemitism. While the resolution unequivocally denounced anti-Jewish hate, it left out language originally proposed that included the widely recognized antisemitism definition by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. American Jewish Committee, the leading global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, issued this statement in response:
AJC appreciates that the American Bar Association adopted a resolution to condemn antisemitism and commit the ABA toward taking a leadership role in fighting anti-Jewish hatred. It is an important statement at a time when antisemitism has risen to alarming levels in this country. At the same time, AJC is disappointed the resolution omits the widely recognized definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which provides clear guidance on what is antisemitism and what it is not. Some ABA members claimed the IHRA definition inhibits free speech because it considers all criticism of Israel antisemitic. That is false. Even a cursory reading of the definition would disprove that.
