January 25, 2019 — New York
AJC applauded the House of Deputies of the Czech Parliament for adopting the international working definition of antisemitism.
“The Czech Republic once again demonstrates its solidarity with the Jewish People,” said AJC CEO David Harris, who has visited the country and met with its leaders on numerous occasions. “We heartily commend the House of Deputies for working toward this important step.”
The vote to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, took place just two days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and only minutes after the annual commemoration event of the Czech government. There, the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and other top Czech officials, including EU Commissioner Věra Jourová , discussed the importance of combating antisemitism as the most significant way to remember the Holocaust. President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament Radek Vondráček stated, “Evil and lies have one name - antisemitism.”
The Czech Senate, the upper chamber of the Parliament, has scheduled a vote on the adoption of the Definition for next week.
AJC has long been involved with the Czech Republic. AJC Central Europe, which is based in Warsaw and covers seven countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia, appointed Tomáš Kraus as AJC’s official representative in Prague in December 2018. Moreover, AJC has a longstanding association agreement with the Jewish Community of the Czech Republic.
The working definition of antisemitism is based on an earlier definition drafted by the European Union’s European Monitoring Center (EUMC, now known as the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights). It offers a clear and comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial, and antisemitism as it relates to Israel. AJC worked closely with the EUMC to develop the original definition.
