The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
A problematic antisemitism definition clouds the issues ……
Last night I watched a recorded webinar by the International Jewish Collective for Justice in Palestine (IJCJP). The title was “Reclaiming the fight against antisemitism”.
I refer followers and readers of my articles to this video link, because it throws light on the various meanings of antisemitism, including the weaponization of the term, to shield Israel from criticism of its policies towards the Palestinians — necessary to prevent the exposure of Zionism as an exclusivist ethno-nationalist ideology, the raison d’etre of the state of Israel’s apartheid regime.
IJCJP’s Facebook page say that it comprises organisations of Jews from diverse countries, part of local, national, international networks and organizations, connected by i) their involvement in the struggle for Palestinian rights, ii) their determination to work for justice and iii) to oppose Zionism and all forms of racism.
Member groups of IJCJP include: Jewish Voice for Peace (United States — US), Jews Say No! (US), Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Boycott From Within (Israeli Citizens for BDS), South African Jews for a Free Palestine, Jewish Voice for Labour (United Kingdom — UK), Jewish Network for Palestine (UK), Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (Germany), Alternative Jewish Voices (New Zealand), Jewish Call for Peace (Luxembourg), Jews Against the Occupation (Australia), French Jewish Peace Union, Another Jewish Voice (Belgium) and Jewish Voice for Just Peace — Ireland.
The webinar shared the experiences of the IJCJP affiliates in the US, UK and Australia, of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. It was introduced and summed up by Tony Lerman, who has just published a book, “Whatever happened to antisemitism? Redefinition and the myth of the collective Jew”.
In a previous article I identified the key role of ideologies in defining national and other social identities, the function of state ideological apparatuses in identity construction and the struggle by activist citizens against ideological identities imposed from above (i.e. hegemonic identities). I located the IHRA definition of antisemitism in this context.
The IHRA definition is core to shielding Israel from counter hegemonic ideological struggle that projects a different meaning of antisemitism and breaks the equivalence of antisemitism with anti-Zionism.
IJCJP notes that although it claims to protect Jews, the IHRA Working Definition is in fact being used to i) shield Israel from valid political challenge, ii) silence Palestinians, and iii) suppress any mention of Palestinian rights.
According to the IJCJP the IHRA’s weaponization of antisemitism sets a dangerous precedent for limiting speech on many issues.
While IJCJP takes the struggle against the IHRA definition as its immediate priority, it also stresses that this is only a starting point for their collective commitment to build a more just world.
