H.E. António Guterres Secretary-General United Nations, New York
H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations United Nations, New York
May 17, 2023
Your Excellencies,
We, the undersigned Jewish communities and organizations, civil society organizations, and scholars and practitioners from around the world, write to you regarding the “UN Action Plan on monitoring antisemitism and enhancing a system-wide response” that Under Secretary-General Moratinos is presently finalizing in his capacity as the UN’s senior focal point on antisemitism since 2020.
We greatly appreciate your consistent recognition that global antisemitism is an insidious danger that harms Jewish individuals and communities, and the broader societies in which we live. We welcome your commitment to making the United Nations a more effective force for countering and combating Jew-hatred around the world.
We have long recognized that in order to combat antisemitism we must understand it. Key to these efforts is employing a clear and comprehensive definition that explains the multiple forms antisemitism may take.
It is our collective view that the non-legally binding International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is an indispensable tool to understand and fight antisemitism, and one that can be used entirely consistently with fundamental human rights standards. Indeed, any UN Action Plan must acknowledge the importance of the IHRA Working Definition to the vast majority of Jewish individuals, organizations, and communities who are the primary targets of antisemitic hatred, discrimination, and violence; are the Action Plan’s primary intended beneficiaries; and are best placed to identify manifestations of hatred and bias directed against us.
We note that the IHRA Working Definition (and its predecessor EUMC Working Definition), which was developed with the cooperation and support of Jewish communities, has provided essential guidance to governments and organizations in Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere for nearly two decades in their efforts to combat antisemitism. As the annex to this letter demonstrates, it has been adopted by more than 40 nations and multilateral organizations such as the European Union and the Organization of American States. It has earned the near-unanimous endorsement of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Thirty-one US states, numerous local governments, and countless businesses, universities, and organizations around the world use it to address harm to our communities. No other definition of antisemitism has been broadly adopted and utilized by practitioners, governments, and civil society. All recognize that the IHRA definition has immense value as an educational tool that offers an evaluative framework, with clear examples of the multiple forms antisemitism can take, that empowers the victims and society at large to identify forms of antisemitism that might otherwise go unrecognized. As you are aware, former UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, also recognized the unique value of the IHRA Working Definition and explicitly recommended its use as an educational and training tool in his 2019 report and 2022 action plan on antisemitism, which he prepared following wide consultations with Jewish organizations and community leaders.
We note that the IHRA Working Definition offers succinct explanations and practical examples that can help governments and individuals at all levels of society recognize antisemitism. These include conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial, as well as the demonization of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.
It is this latter aspect of the IHRA Working Definition that has elicited concern from some civil society organizations. However, we stress that its inclusion in the IHRA Working Definition is precisely what makes this tool uniquely valuable for understanding and monitoring modern day antisemitism. Indeed, forms of antisemitism that are masked as “anti-Zionism” and that deny Jews the right to self-determination are among those most frequently encountered by many Jews today, whether or not they are Zionists. This is well-documented in surveys conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in Europe and by surveys in the United States as well. So-called “alternative definitions” that have been formulated as responses to the IHRA Working Definition do not adequately or effectively clarify this form of antisemitism and are not appropriate for inclusion in the UN Action Plan. There are few if any examples of their practical use. Thus, we believe any references to these alternative definitions would only introduce greater confusion into the UN Action Plan and undermine our common efforts to combat antisemitism.
We reiterate that, contrary to the assertions of some civil society organizations, the IHRA Working Definition explicitly affirms that criticism of Israel per se is not antisemitic. We note that many of the governments that have adopted the IHRA Working Definition and consider it a useful tool have found it entirely possible to sharply criticize Israeli policies and practices. We note, further, that the IHRA Working Definition is not legally binding and does nothing to prohibit any speech, even the most hateful.
We urge you to ensure that the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is referenced positively in the forthcoming “UN Action Plan on monitoring antisemitism and enhancing a system-wide response” as an indispensable educational and monitoring tool, the value of which has been widely recognized by many key stakeholders, and one that should be used for training UN staff, among others, on how to recognize and respond to antisemitism.
Thank you for considering our views on this matter.
Please accept, Excellencies, the assurance of our highest consideration.
Initiating Organizations
1. Anti-Defamation League
2. American Jewish Committee
3. B’nai B’rith International
4. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
5. European Jewish Congress
6. Jewish Federations of North America
7. World Jewish Congress
Other Global Organizations
8. Combat Antisemitism Movement
9. Commonwealth Jewish Council
10. Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC)
11. HIAS
12. National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ)
13. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
14. Women's League for Conservative Judaism
15. World Union of Jewish Students
16. Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO)
Regional Organizations
Europe
1. European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ)
2. B’nai B’rith Europe
3. Conference of European Rabbis
4. European Coalition for Israel
5. European Union of Jewish Students
6. European Jewish Congress
7. Forum for Cultural Diplomacy
Latin America
8. B’nai B’rith Latin America
North America
9. Jewish Federations of North America
10. Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity
National Communities and Organizations (by United Nations regional group)
East European Region
Armenia
11. Jewish Community of Armenia
Azerbaijan
12. Baku Religious Community of European Jews
Belarus
13. Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities
Bosnia and Herzegovina
14. Jewish Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
15. Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria “Shalom”
16. Religious Community of the Jews in Bulgaria
17. Beit Shalom Jewish Educational Foundation Bulgaria
18. Tzedaka- Shalom foundation - OJB Shalom
Croatia
19. Coordination Committee of the Jewish Communities in the Republic of Croatia
Czech Republic
20. Federation of Jewish Communities in Czech Republic
Estonia
21. Jewish Community of Estonia
Georgia
22. Jewish Cultural and Education Fund
Hungary
23. Mazsihisz (Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary)
Latvia
24. Latvian Council of Jewish Communities
Lithuania
25. Jewish Community of Lithuania
Moldova
26. Jewish Community of Republic of Moldova
Montenegro
27. Jewish Community of Montenegro
North Macedonia
28. Jewish Community in the Republic of North Macedonia
Poland
29. Jewish Community of Poland
30. Lodge Polin of B’nai B’rith (B’nai B’rith Poland)
31. Jewish Association Czulent
Romania
32. B'nai B'rith Romania
Serbia
33. Federation of Jewish Communities in Serbia
34. Terraforming
Slovakia
35. Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia
Ukraine
36. Jewish Confederation of Ukraine
37. Ukranian Jewish Committee
Latin American and Caribbean Region
Argentina
38. Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA)
39. B’nai B’rith Argentina
Bolivia
40. Circulo Israelita La Paz Bolivia
Brazil
41. B’nai B’rith Brazil
42. Confederação Israelita do Brasil (CONIB)
Chile
43. B’nai B’rith Chile
44. Comunidad Judía de Chile
Colombia
45. B’nai B’rith Colombia
Costa Rica
46. B’nai B’rith Costa Rica
47. Centro Israelita Sionista de Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
48. Centro Israelita de la República Dominicana
Ecuador
49. B’nai B’rith Ecuador
El Salvador
50. Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador
Guatemala
51. B’nai B’rith Guatemala
Honduras
52. B’nai B’rith Honduras
Mexico
53. B’nai B’rith Mexico
54. Comité Central de la Comunidad Judía de México
55. Tribuna Israelita
Panama
56. Comisión Antidifamación CAD B'nai B'rith (B’nai B’rith Panama)
57. Congreso Judio Panameño
58. Consejo Comunitario Hebreo de Panamá
Paraguay
59. Comunidad Judía del Paraguay
Peru
60. Asociación Judía del Perú
61. B’nai B’rith Peru
Uruguay
62. B’nai B’rith Uruguay
Venezuela
63. B’nai B’rith Venezuela
64. Confederación de Asociaciones Israelitas de Venezuela
Western European and Others (WEOG) Region
Australia
65. Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council
66. B’nai B’rith Australia and New Zealand
67. Executive Council of Australian Jewry
Austria
68. Centropa
69. Jewish Community Vienna (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien)
Belgium
70. Le Comité de Coordination des Organisations Juives de Belgique (CCOJB)
71. CCLJ-Belgium (Centre communautaire laïc juif David Suskind)
72. The International Jewish Center
Canada
73. Adas Yeshurun Herzlia
74. B’nai Brith Canada
75. Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)
76. Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada
77. The Abraham Global Peace Initiative
Denmark
78. Jewish Community of Denmark
Finland
79. Central Council of Jewish Communities in Finland
France
80. B’nai B’rith France
81. CRIF - Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France
82. Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l'Antisémitisme (LICRA)
Germany
83. Amadeu Antonio Foundation
84. Central Council of Jews in Germany
85. Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany (ZWST)
86. Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft e.V.
87. German Union of Jewish Students (JSUD)
88. “Jehi ˈOr” Jüdisches Bildungswerk für Demokratie – gegen Antisemitismus gUG
89. Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism (JFDA)
90. MAKKABI Deutschland e. V.
91. Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin
92. Service Center for Anti-Discrimination North Rhine-Westphalia (SABRA NRW)
Greece
93. WerteInitiative - Jewish-German Positions Greece
94. Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece
Ireland
95. Jewish Representative Council of Ireland
Israel
96. B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem
97. Centre for Jewish Impact
98. NGO Monitor
Italy
99. B’nai B’rith Italy
100. Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI)
Liechtenstein
101. Verein Jüdische Gemeinschaft im Fürstentum Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
102. Consistoire Israelite de Luxembourg
Malta
103. Jewish Community of Malta
Netherlands
104. Nederlands-Israëlitisch Kerkgenootschap (NIK) Org. Jewish Communities in the Netherlands
105. CIDI (Center for Information and Documentation Israel)
New Zealand
106. Australasian Union of Jewish Students in New Zealand
107. Beth Shalom Progressive Synagogue
108. Council of Jewish Women Aotearoa NZ
109. Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
110. Nelson Jewish Community Inc
111. New Zealand Community Security Group Trust
112. Wellington Jewish Community Centre
113. Wellington Progressive Jewish Congregation
114. Zionist Federation of New Zealand
Norway
115. Det Mosaiske Trossamfunn - Jewish Community Oslo
Other
116. Gibraltar Jewish Community
Portugal
117. Jewish Community of Lisbon
Spain
118. Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain
Sweden
119. Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities
120. Swedish Union of Jewish Youth (Judiska ungdomsförbundet i Sverige, JUS)
Switzerland
121. Gamaraal Foundation
122. Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities
Türkiye
123. The Jewish Community of Türkiye (Turkey)
United Kingdom
124. Antisemitism Policy Trust
125. Association of Jewish Refugees
126. Board of Deputies of British Jews
127. BICOM (Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre)
128. Community Security Trust
129. Jewish Leadership Council
130. London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
United States1
131. AMIT Children
132. AIPAC
133. Alliance for Academic Freedom
134. American Friends of Likud
135. American Zionist Movement
136. CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis)
137. Center for Righteousness and Integrity (CRINY)
138. Emunah of America
139. Endowment for Middle East Truth
140. Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America
141. Indigenous Bridges
142. Jewish Studies Zionist Network
143. MERCAZ USA
144. NA'AMAT USA
145. North Carolina Coalition for Israel
146. ORT America
147. Rabbinical Assembly
148. Rabbinical Council of America
149. Religious Zionists of America – Mizrachi
150. Shields of David
151. Stop BDS on Campus
152. Swarthmore Alumni Against Antisemitism on Campus
153. Telluride Jewish Community
154. Temple Sinai
155. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
156. United Teacher Los Angeles (UTLA) Educators Caucus for Israel
157. Zioness Movement
158. ZOA
African Region
South Africa
159. South African Jewish Board of Deputies
Asia-Pacific Region
Cyprus
161. Jewish Community of Cyprus
Japan
161. Jewish Community of Japan
Myanmar
162. Myanmar Jewish Community
Academics and Practitioners
Academics2
1. Dr. Steven Albert, University of Pittsburgh
2. Dr. Uzi Baram
3. Katherine Barbieri, University of South Carolina, Department of Political Science
4. Philip Barnett, City University of New York
5. Volker Beck, Lehrbeauftragter/Associate Lecturer Centrum für Religionswissenschaftliche Studien CERES Ruhr-Universität Bochum
6. Dr. Ulrike Becker, Middle East Freedom Forum, Berlin
7. Deidre Berger, Tikvah Institut gUG
8. Darrell Bock
9. Geoffrey Braswell, UCSD Department of Anthropology
10. Professor Bruce Bukiet
11. Dr. Mehak Burza, Head, Global Holocaust and Religion Studies
12. Dr. Ellen Cannon, Professor of Political Science and Jewish Studies, ISGAP
13. Paul Cantz, PsyD, ABPP
14. Professor Daniel Chernilo, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chiel
15. Perry Dane, Rutgers Law School
16. Morton M. Denn, Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus, City College of New York
17. Donna Robinson Divine, Morningstar Family Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Government, Emerita, Smith College
18. Stanley Dubinsky, University of South Carolina
19. Dr. Tanja Ehmann, KHSB-Berlin
20. Miriam F. Elman, Syracuse University
21. Irina Esterlis, Yale University
22. Dr. Ayal Feinberg, Gratz College
23. Terri Susan Fine, University of Central Florida
24. Luis Fleischman, Palm Beach State College
25. Dr. Matthew Flisfeder, The University of Winnipeg
26. Steven Fraade, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Yale University
27. Professor Rosa Freedman, University of Reading
28. Ben M. Freeman
29. Anna Geifman, Bar Ilan University
30. Dr Aleksandra Gliszczyńska-Grabias Institute of Law Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences
31. Dr. Avraham Goldstein, The City University of New York (CUNY)
32. David Graizbord, University of Arizona
33. Dr. Susan Greenberg, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Roehampton
34. Haskel Greenfield, Distinguished Professor, University of Manitoba
35. Marc Grimm, Deputy Professor for the Didactis of Social Science at Wuppertal University
36. Jaime Grinberg, Montclair State University
37. Professor Oren Gross, Irving Younger Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School
38. Gary D. Grossman, University of Georgia
39. Amber Gum, PhD
40. David Halahmy, History Department Chair, Cypress College
41. Jaroslava Halper. University of Georgia
42. Linda Haramati, Yale School of Medicine
43. Kent D. Harber, Rutgers University at Newark
44. Professor Bernard Harrison, Chair Emeritus, University of Utah, University of Sussex
45. Allan Havis, University of California San Diego
46. Professor Jeffrey Herf, Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus, Department of History, University of Maryland, College Park
47. Professor David Hirsh, Academic Director and CEO of the London Centre for the Study of Antisemitism and Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London
48. Dr. Dahn Hiuni
49. Morten Hunke, CEFR Journal - Research and Practice, Anna-Lindh-Schule, Berlin
50. Gunther Jikeli, Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, Indiana University
51. Alex Kamenev, University of Minnesota
52. Professor Sergei Kan, Dartmouth College
53. Ellen W. Kaplan, Professor Emeritus, Smith College
54. Jonathan Katz, University of Maryland
55. Marc Katz, Scripps College, Claremont Colleges Consortium
56. William Katz, University of Texas at Dallas
57. Steven G. Kellman, University of Texas at San Antonio
58. Lesley Klaff, Sheffield Hallam University, Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism
59. Cary Kogan, University of Ottawa
60. Marvin Koss, Upstate Medical University
61. Joël Kotek, Université Libre de Bruxelles
62. Dr. Matthias Kuntzel
63. Joseph Kushick
64. Norma Landau, University of California Davis
65. Armin Lange, Professor for Antisemitism Studies, University of Vienna, and Second Temple Judaism
66. Professor Ruth Langer, Boston College
67. David Leffell, Yale University
68. Diana Levin
69. Dr. Marian Levy, University of Memphis
70. Professor Joe Lockard, Arizona State University, English Department
71. Professor Doron Lubinsky
72. Dr. Lee Lukoff, Adjunct Professor, American University
73. Dyanne Martin, Wheaton College
74. Graeme Mason, Yale University
75. James Mendelsohn, University of the West of England
76. Professor Philip Mendes, Monash University
77. Professor Evan Morris, Yale University
78. Sebastien Mosbah-Natanson, Sorbonne Unviersite
79. Fred Naider, Professor Emeritus College of Staten Island, CUNY
80. Cary Nelson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
81. Serban Nichifor
82. S. Ben Niku
83. Pamela Paresky
84. David Patterson, Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies, Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas
85. Andrew Pessin
86. Steven Pinker, Harvard University
87. Professor Dina Porat, Professor Emeritus, Modern Jewish History, Tel Aviv University
88. Professor Susan Prager, Brooklyn College, CUNY
89. Daniel Prober, Yale University
90. Elke Rajal
91. Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior, The George Washington University
92. Dr. Lars Rensman, University of Passau
93. Dr. Dave Rich
94. Mark Rosenbaum, Hawaii Pacific University, College of Business
95. Jonathan Rosenberg
96. Professor Alvin Rosenfeld, Indiana University, Professor of English and Jewish Studies; Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies; Director, Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
97. Richard Ross, University of Illinois
98. Elisha Russ-Fishbane, New York University
99. Michael Schmitt, University of Reading
100. Allison E.Schottenstein, Gratz College
101. Dr. Joshua Schwartz, Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University
102. Sheri Schwartz
103. David Schwartzer
104. Maurice Schweitzer, University of Pennsylvania
105. Michael Scrivner, Professor of English, Emeritus, Wayne State University
106. David Seidman, Northwestern University
107. Dr. Miriam Shenkar, Ohio State University
108. Dr. Gale Sigal, Wake Forest University
109. Julie Simon, Scripps College, Claremont Colleges Consortium
110. Amanda J. Smith
111. Professor Philip Spencer
112. Scott Spitzer, California State University, Fullerton
113. Izabella Tabarovsky, Fellow, London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
114. Professor Marc Tetel, Wellesley College
115. Ilan Troen, Brandeis University
116. Jefferey D. Ullman, Stanford University
117. Albert Wachtel, Professor of Creative Studies, Pitzer College
118. Professor James Wald, Hampshire College
119. Rivka Weinberg, Scripps College, Claremont Colleges Consortium
120. Michael Whine, Senior Consultant, World Jewish Congress
121. Batia Wiesenfeld
122. Malka Zeiger Simkovich, Catholic Theological Union
123. Professor Martin Zwick, Professor, Portland State University
