Global Fight Against Antisemitism - World Jewish Congress
The Global Fight against Antisemitism: International Commitments and Best Practices

To effectively confront the age-old hatred of antisemitism, its essential that governments, civil society, and international organizations form a united front and adhere to a set of best practices. Antisemitism doesn’t just appear online, in the streets, or halls of power—it's all consuming. While not always obvious, there are governments and other bodies that are engaged in this fight against Jew hatred, and many have begun to implement strategies that have the potential to make progress. We have compiled some of these approaches so that others may follow suit and understand where they, too, can create real impact.

Mainstreaming the fight against antisemitism

States should mainstream the fight against antisemitism, both domestically and internationally, taking all necessary measures to combat all of its public manifestations, regardless of their origin, and ensuring that the fight against antisemitism is carried out at all administrative levels (national, regional, local), with the participation of a wide range of actors from different sectors of society (in particular political, legal, economic, social, religious, educational and cultural) in these efforts, such as national coordinators or coordination mechanisms for combating racism and antisemitism, public bodies and institutions, equality bodies, and other relevant stakeholders.

Condemning antisemitism

States should promptly, publicly, unequivocally and resolutely condemn, anywhere, at any time, antisemitic acts and statements and all forms of hatred as well as any denial or distortion of the Holocaust and encourage political leaders, parliamentarians, religious leaders and other public figures to do so. 

Appointing an Envoy and adopting a strategy to combat antisemitism

States should appoint a Special Envoy or national coordinator of domestic efforts to monitor and combat antisemitism, with the mandate to supervise and coordinate efforts to combat antisemitism, and ensure their independent and free operation, including coordinating and regularly engaging with Jewish communities and with other national and international actors focused on combating antisemitism, as well as develop holistic national action plans and/or strategies and allocate sufficient funding for their implementation, or alternatively integrated into an overall action plan against racism. 

Utilizing international organizations to combat antisemitism

States should take actions at international organizations and closely cooperate at the regional / international level to jointly address antisemitism, encourage efforts by international organizations to combat antisemitism, and engage with and international, regional and national human rights mechanisms, as an integral part of their foreign policy and development efforts. 

Adopting the IHRA working definition of antisemitism

States should endorse/adopt, use in education and awareness-raising and for monitoring and include in relevant policies IHRA’s Working Definitions of Antisemitism and of Holocaust denial and distortion and encourage local authorities, regions, cities, and other institutions and organizations to do the same. 

Promoting interfaith dialogue

States should promote and facilitate open and transparent intercultural, interfaith and interreligious dialogue and partnerships, fostering a ‘whole of society approach.’ 

Enacting legislation aimed at combating antisemitism

State should enact legislation aimed at combating antisemitism and other forms of hate speech, as well as limiting Holocaust denial or distortion, including online, in concrete and easy to understand way and in full conformity with international human rights law, and ensure it is effectively implemented and that it enables law enforcement agencies and prosecution services to combat antisemitism effectively. 

Educating about antisemitism and life of the Jewish people

States should promote, including financially, education, research and knowledge of Jewish life, antisemitism and the Holocaust, train teachers, develop accurate and high-quality educational methodologies and material and awareness-raising programs, and promote tolerance and understanding of international human rights principles. 

Resources
United Nations’ bodies’ recommendations
European Union Institutions’ recommendations
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s recommendations
Council of Europe bodies’ recommendations
Collecting data on antisemitism

States should collect reliable disaggregated data and statistics on racist, xenophobic and antisemitic crimes, regular publish them, and strengthen the effectiveness of local and national mechanisms for monitoring and recording hate crimes. 

Regulating online hatred

States should, in line with international standards on freedom of expression, regulate internet companies in order to establish effective systems to monitor and stop antisemitic hate speech and Holocaust denial or distortion online, strengthen the capacity of national law enforcement and judicial authorities and facilitate reporting of such content and prosecute antisemitic hate speech and hate crimes. 

Commemorating the Holocaust

States should officially commemorate the Holocaust publicly, mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and encourage initiatives to commemorate the victims of such racist and antisemitic acts.