IHRA working definition of antisemitism adopted by government

The working definition is closely associated with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which adopted it in 2016 and published it alongside a set of examples, some of which relate to Israel.

More than 100 civil society organisations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Israeli group B’Tselem and Palestinian group Al-Haq, wrote to the UN in 2023 to urge against the adoption of the working definition.

They said it had been used to “wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe” and that better definitions of antisemitism had since been drawn up.

The Irish government yesterday said it has endorsed both the non-legally binding Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism and the IHRA’s non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism.

Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Micheál Martin said: “Ireland is committed to countering the scourge of racism and hatred and to promoting the values of equality, inclusiveness and the full respect of human rights. Combatting antisemitism is an increasingly important and visible part of this work.

“I have been deeply concerned at the current trend of a global rise in antisemitism, both online and offline. The government takes this issue seriously and we will continue to tackle all forms of discrimination.

“I believe the step taken today will be an important contribution to these efforts. We will also continue our close relationship with the Jewish community in Ireland and ensure that their concerns are heard.”

In a statement announcing the move, the Department of Foreign Affairs added: “Today’s endorsements complement Ireland’s robust anti-discrimination legislation, including the national action plan against racism which seeks to address a wide range of issues which affect minorities.”