Friday 8 September 2017

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, a HTML copy

[As a public service, a HTML copy of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

The original can be found here and as a PDF here.  It is slightly imperfect in pagination to due the conversion process from PDF to HMTL.]

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Bucharest, 26 May 2016

In the spirit of the Stockholm Declaration that states: “With humanity still scarred by ...antisemitism
and xenophobia the international community shares a solemn responsibility to fight those evils” the
committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial called the IHRA Plenary in Budapest 2015 to adopt
the following working definition of antisemitism.

On 26 May 2016, the Plenary in Bucharest decided to:
Adopt the following non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred
toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed
toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish
community institutions and religious facilities.”
To guide IHRA in its work, the following examples may serve as illustrations:

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish
collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be
regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

  • Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion
  • Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
  • Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
  • Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
  • Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
  • Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
  • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
  • Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
  • Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
  • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Antisemitic acts are criminal when they are so defined by law (for example, denial of the Holocaust or distribution of antisemitic materials in some countries).

Criminal acts are antisemitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.

Antisemitic discrimination is the denial to Jews of opportunities or services available to others and is illegal in many countries. 

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Saturday 2 September 2017

Antisemitism: the Stink Factor #1

Editorial

Antisemitism: the Stink Factor is intended to be a regular summary of antisemitic rantings or happenings over the past week or so. It will also cover antifascist material when deemed relevant.

It is far too easy six months after some bout of racism to forget what happened or who were the key players. We intend that our weekly posts should remedy that.

Its aim is to be informative, occasionally humorous even acerbic but relevant to tackling the rise of antisemitism and its themes in modern society.

Contributions welcomed, Direct Message @AntiNazisUnited on Twitter.

Jenny Tonge

Like David Ward, another failure from the Lib Dems, Baroness Tonge is never ever far away from antisemitism.

This week she passed on a nasty antisemitic cartoon from a friend of hers, who claimed it had been checked beforehand for racism, presumably by the BNP or David Duke?

The White House

Donald Trump managed to divest himself of two nasty characters in the last few weeks. Steve Bannon, a corpulent and decidedly unhealthy looking member of the master race, has return to Breitbart, the Alt-Right's favourite publication.

Steven Bannon, just before his regular workout.
Sebastian Gorka, a supporter of Hungarian neofascists, has more time to spend fiddling with his Vitézi Rend badge.

A younger Sebastian Gorka in the uniform and with the medal of Vitézi Rend.
Charlottesville 

There has been continued bouts of hand-wringing on the political Right and amongst wooly liberals on whether or not to physically opposed neo-Nazis. They actually debate who is worse? Neo-Nazis that deliberately crash a car into peaceful opponents, killing Heather Heyer. Or people who wear masks and oppose neo-Nazis.

Not exactly a tricky proposition.

But let us recall some lovely American antifascists of a bygone age.

US Twenty-Eighth Infantry Division march along the Champs-Élysées, Paris, France with l’Arc de Triomphe in the background, Aug 29 1944.
Labour

You might think that members of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, if they had an ounce of sense, would avoid the topic of antisemitism lest it comes back and bites them.

But alas they seem to have the political commonsense of Donald Trump's socks.

Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Chris Williamson, himself no stranger to antisemites felt it was appropriate to argue that antisemitism had been weaponised.

There were many replies on social media, just a small selection:

Marlon Solomon replied:
Miriam Mirwitch spelt it out:
Dave Rich explains the basics to Labour members:

Internet neofascists

In good news, Daily Stormer has struggled to keep its Internet presence alive in the wake of Charlottesville, first going to Russia and now is stuck on the Dark Web.

Even Stormfront, a deepest pit of KKK and neo-Nazi thought on the web, has gone off-line.

Good articles
Events

The Jewish Labour Movement conference is on Sunday, 3rd September 2017, with sessions covering politics and lots of intelligent conversation. Tickets and details here.

The Lighter side

The weepy neo-Nazi, Christopher Cantwell, was finally arrested.


That Nazi who cried doesn't want to be labeled the 'crying Nazi'