The groups "endorse the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance "Working Definition of Antisemitism" (IHRA) as a tool for monitoring and raising awareness.”
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..."we share concerns expressed by other supporters, both in the Jewish community & in broader civil society, that the examples appended to the definition were drafted in a time & context different from the one before us today & can obscure even as they strive to illuminate”
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"The examples seek primarily to clarify when Jews are targeted for harassment because of their real or actual connection to Israel or Zionism. A stated commitment to Israel’s well-being does not preclude antisemitic attitudes. “
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"At the same time, questioning Israeli government policies does not automatically denote one’s views as antisemitic.”
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…"several of the definition’s examples involve protected speech. Our commitment to principles of free speech and concerns about the potential abuse of the definition compel us to urge its use only as intended: as a guide and an awareness raising tool.
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"The definition should not be codified into policy that would trigger potentially problematic punitive action to circumscribe speech, efforts which have been particularly aimed at college students and human rights activists."
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"If the effect of application of the IHRA definition is to limit free speech, it threatens to divide the broad coalition needed to combat antisemitism.”
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"Hundreds of Israeli soldiers age 19 to 21 are deployed every night on missions of state terror when they break into Palestinian homes in the West Bank, without a judge’s warrant or oversight of a body that is not an interested party (there is no such body)…”
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"The authority is a military order from 54 years ago, when we thought the occupation was temporary…”
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ICYMI, Janet Yellen’s response to Senate Finance Committee for the record re: BDS (page 40) does not sound like support for First Amendment rights of Americans or of free speech as a value around the world
"President Biden has led efforts to oppose the delegitimization of Israel, whether in international organizations or by the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement in the United States…"
“...I support President Biden’s approach of opposing such efforts and ifconfirmed, ***will work as Treasury Secretary to oppose BDS activities directed at Israel.***"
Israelis have long had no issue ignoring terrorist past of fellow Israelis, while they impose 6-degrees-of-terrorist-contamination standard on Palestinians. Shurat HaDin exemplifies this, but Exhibit A has to be political commentator/journo Haggai Segal
“In 1980, while part of the group Jewish Underground, Segal planted and planted a bomb that blew off the leg of a Palestinian mayor. He served a prison sentence and later wrote about his experiences in the book Dear Brothers: The West Bank Jewish Underground.”
Wilders “has right-wing fans the world over...Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair, has called Wilders a ‘true friend’ of the Jewish people, & wished him success ahead of the 2019 European parliamentary elections. Netanyahu Sr. didn’t distance himself from his son’s endorsement.”
“He reiterates to Haaretz that the Netherlands ‘should learn from Israel when it comes to dealing with radical Islamism. We should adopt administrative detention...’ The practice is widely criticized by human rights organizations...”
Another quick thread re State Dept plan to label human rights orgs “antisemitic”:
Key thing to understand is that such labeling is a feature, not a bug, of efforts to promoting definition of antisemitism that focuses NOT on hatred/threats to Jews, but on criticism of Israel.
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This re-definition is at the core of the IHRA definition of antisemitism’s “contemporary examples.”
And make no mistake: these examples - which conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism - are the ONLY parts of the IHRA that backers of this effort are interested in.
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So rather than focus on real lethal antisemitism surging around the world, the massive effort focuses on promoting this definition, so that today they can say, “hey, it’s not us labeling them antisemitic, it’s this definition that everyone accepts, and who can argue with that” 3/
A State Department Memo Suggests It’s About to Accuse Prominent Human Rights Groups of “Anti-Semitism” – Mother Jones motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
“‘Certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regularly participate in and promote the Global BDS Campaign or engage in other activities that meet the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of anti-Semitism,’...”
“... reads a memo produced by Carr’s office, which Mother Jones obtained, that urges Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to permit the release of its report...”