Combat Antisemitism Movement;We are pleased to share with you the 2023 IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism Adoptions and Endorsements Report
Dear Carl,
Since Hamas' massacre in Israel on October 7, Jewish communities globally have faced an increase in discrimination, harassment, and violence. From the third to the fourth quarter of 2023, CAM's Antisemitism Research Center detected a sharp increase in reported global incidents of antisemitism. This underscores the importance of recognizing, combating and clearly defining antisemitism.
The Working Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016, provides a clear and detailed framework for identifying and addressing anti-Jewish discrimination in all its contemporary manifestations.
We are pleased to share with you the 2023 IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism Adoptions and Endorsements Report, produced in partnership between the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University.
Through December 2023, the definition has been adopted or endorsed by a total of 1,216 entities, including 45 countries and 514 regional, state, and local governmental bodies.
A diverse array of national governments, municipalities, international organizations, NGOs, universities, athletic clubs, corporations, and others have recognized the definition as the guiding framework for their policies against antisemitism, and the definition’s impact and influence are rooted in the mainstream consensus that has formed around it.
The continued growth of the definition’s across-the-board acceptance was particularly pronounced this past year in the United States, where 30 counties and cities adopted it via legislation or executive action, as well as 4 states. More than two thirds - 34 - of U.S. states have now done so, as have 89 American counties and cities.
Across the world, 47 non-federal government entities (including regional, provincial, state, county, and municipal bodies) adopted the definition in 2023. These sub-national governmental bodies include the Polish cities of Warsaw and Plosk; Florence, Italy; and Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Dallas in the United States.
Broken down by country, the U.S. led the way in IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism adoptions in 2023, with 35, or 36.1% of the total, with Poland (30), Argentina (7), Italy (5), and Croatia (5) rounding out the top five.
The 2023 annual report also revealed that Boston University (through its student government) was the only university in the U.S. to adopt the IHRA working definition in 2023, despiterecent survey datashowing nearly 73% of U.S. Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
With the alarming rise in anti-Jewish hate, there is an urgent need for a universally-accepted definition of antisemitism. Clearly delineating the borders of hate and incitement against Jews is crucial. For too long those engaging in antisemitic activity themselves have defined them, a situation no other community would tolerate.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement urges universities, municipalities and other global institutions to familiarize themselves with how governments, business, civil society, and faith communities of all backgrounds around the world have united in adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and are using it as a benchmark for identifying and combating contemporary manifestations of antisemitism.
Visit our page for additional resources and information on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, and reach out to CAM's Chief of Staff, Arthur Maserjian, with any questions or to report adoptions at arthur@combatantisemitism.org.
Sincerely,
Sacha Roytman
Chief Executive Officer
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM)
Combat Antisemitism Movement, PO Box 957, Moundridge, Kansas 67107
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