January 8, 2021 — Paris, France
AJC Europe welcomes the European Commission’s publication of the Handbook for the Practical Use of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. This new publication offers clear guidance and examples of how the definition is already being used throughout Europe by law enforcement, the judiciary, educational institutions, and civil society.
“The importance of this Handbook,” said Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director General of AJC Europe, “is demonstrating how the Working Definition can used to combat antisemitism. It is a necessary and valuable tool for all governments.”
The Working Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016, is a comprehensive definition that describes the hatred in all its various forms, including both traditional and contemporary manifestations. It has since been adopted by 18 EU Member States along with other countries in Europe and around the world.
Leaders of the United Nations, the Organization for American States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Commission, among others, have in recent years called for its adoption.
The handbook was prepared by the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) and published in cooperation with the IHRA. American Jewish Committee (AJC) played a key role in the early development of the Working Definition in 2004, and its European offices work closely with RIAS in Berlin and with the EU Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism, who is based in Brussels. https://report-antisemitism.de/documents/IHRADefinition_Handbook.pdf
