Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism
 | The lead section of this article may need to be rewritten. (May 2021) |
| Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism | |
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| Created | 2020-2021 |
| Presented | March 25, 2021 |
| Commissioned by | Van Leer Jerusalem Institute |
| Purpose | Definition of antisemitism |
| Part of a series on |
| Antisemitism |
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The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) is a definition of antisemitism signed by more than 200 scholars. The declaration explicitly states that boycotts of Israel are not inherently antisemitic, and was motivated in part by objection to the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, which has been criticized for curbing free speech with regard to criticism of Israel.[1][2]
The declaration includes a "core definition" of antisemitism:[3]
Antisemitism is discrimination, prejudice, hostility or violence against Jews as Jews (or Jewish institutions as Jewish).
It also includes fifteen guidelines for recognizing and responding to antisemitism.[3][4] Some of these guidelines define certain types of speech or conduct as not inherently antisemitic,[5] with the preamble to the declaration stating that "there is a widely-felt need for clarity on the limits of legitimate political speech and action concerning Zionism, Israel, and Palestine."[3][6]
Creation[edit]
The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism was intended to distinguish precisely between antisemitism and legitimate critique of Israel.[7] It was signed by more than 200 scholars in fields including Jewish studies, Israel studies, the study of antisemitism, and Middle Eastern studies.[1][8]
The declaration is called the "Jerusalem Declaration" because its creation was organized by the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem,[9] and the group that created it intended to meet in Jerusalem but could not do so as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
An international group of scholars began working on the document online in June 2020,[10] and the definition was publicly released on March 25, 2021 after a process that lasted nearly a year.[11][12] It is intended to be used instead of the IHRA definition, or as a supplement to guide interpretation of the IHRA definition for groups that have already adopted it.[10] It is not intended for use as a legal document.[5]
Guidelines[edit]
The fifteen guidelines of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism define certain things as antisemitic, with examples including Holocaust denial and the Rothschild conspiracy theory as well as “denying the right of Jews in the State of Israel to exist and flourish, collectively and individually” and holding Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.[9][13] They define support for the "Palestinian demand for justice" and evidence-based criticism of Israel, as well as boycotts of Israel, as not inherently antisemitic.[9]
The declaration does not support or oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement or the one-state or two-state solutions, but states that they are not inherently antisemitic.[14][15][16] The signatories of the declaration have a wide range of opinions about Zionism and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[17]
Reception[edit]
In April 2021, United States Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Mark Pocan, Andy Levin, Jamie Raskin, and Pramila Jayapal asked colleagues to sign onto an open letter to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken which urged Blinken to "consider multiple definitions of antisemitism" in addition to the IHRA definition, including the Jerusalem Declaration which it described as having "been formulated and embraced by the Jewish community". Americans for Peace Now and J Street supported the letter,[18] along with Ameinu, T'ruah, and IfNotNow. The American Jewish Committee and Anti-Defamation League opposed it, with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt calling it misguided and American Jewish Committee director of international Jewish affairs Andrew Baker criticizing the Jerusalem Declaration specifically.[19]
Criticism[edit]
In April 2021, Emily Schrader wrote an opinion article in The Jerusalem Post stating that the Jerusalem Declaration is "aimed at undermining the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Association definition." She described the controversy around the IHRA definition as the result of a campaign by "several fringe Jewish groups" who were "falsely claiming it 'censors' free speech and 'silences' Palestinian advocacy." She emphasized the use of the IHRA definition by national governments and other prominent groups, and described the JDA as "a group of academics walking on eggshells to try to define what antisemitism is not in order to appease a more extreme group that has become increasingly and aggressively more antisemitic on the far Left."[20]
Also in April 2021, associate professor of sociology Mark Muhannad Ayyash wrote an opinion article in Al Jazeera describing the Jerusalem Declaration as "an orientalist text that fails to produce true opposition to the core problem of the IHRA definition: the silencing and erasure of Palestine and Palestinians." He criticized the declaration, saying that it presents Palestinians as "hostile, reactionary, and emotional" and that it is "timid in its declared opposition to the IHRA definition".[21]
In May 2021, an article in Tablet by Elad Lapidot criticized the Jerusalem Declaration for classifying "any hostility 'against Jews as Jews'" as antisemitic, stating that "it thus categorically prohibits the possibility of attributing anything objectionable to Jewish practice" and describing it as characteristic of "[contemporary] anti-antisemitism" which "tries to fight antisemitism by denying that Judaism exists."[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Kampeas, Ron (March 25, 2021). "Over 200 scholars create new anti-Semitism definition that excludes backing Israel boycotts". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Harb, Ali (March 26, 2021). "Opposing Zionism is not hate speech, new antisemitism definition asserts". Middle East Eye. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c "The Jerusalem Declaration On Antisemitism". JerusalemDeclaration.org. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Trachtenberg, Barry (March 26, 2021). "Why I Signed the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism". Jewish Currents. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Assmann, Aleida; Confino, Alon; Feldman, David (March 26, 2021). "A new antisemitism definition to ease IHRA confusion". EUobserver. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Hanloser, Gerhard (March 26, 2021). "Definitiv eine Definition" [Definitely a Definition]. Neues Deutschland (in German). Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Lapidot, Elad (May 20, 2021). "A Critique of Anti-Antisemitism". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
- ^ Peitz, Christiane (March 29, 2021). "Warum 200 Experten ein Umdenken in der Antisemitismus-Debatte fordern" [Criticism of Israel: Why 200 experts are calling for a rethink in the anti-Semitism debate]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Ben (March 26, 2021). "Yet another attempt to sanitize anti-Zionism". Jewish News Syndicate. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Wendenburg, Valerie (March 26, 2021). "Antisemitismus neu und klar definiert" [Anti-Semitism clearly redefined]. tachles (in German). Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Habermalz, Christiane (March 26, 2021). ""Jerusalemer Erklärung" - Eine neue Definition für Antisemitismus" ["Jerusalem Declaration" - A new definition for antisemitism]. Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Bolle, Isabel (March 25, 2021). "Internationale academici willen nieuwe definitie van antisemitisme" [International academics want a new definition of antisemitism]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Bandler, Aaron (March 26, 2021). "Jewish Scholars Unveil New Anti-Semitism Definition Saying BDS Isn't Anti-Semitic". Jewish Journal. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Rosenfield, Arno (March 25, 2021). "Leading Jewish scholars say BDS, one-state solution are not antisemitic". The Forward. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Shanes, Joshua; Waxman, Dov (March 26, 2021). "We Need a Better Definition of Anti-Semitism". Slate Magazine. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Brumlik, Micha; Rahmlow, Axel (March 26, 2021). "Jerusalemer Erklärung - Antisemitismus neu definiert" [Jerusalem Declaration - Anti-Semitism redefined]. Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Klug, Brian (April 1, 2021). "The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Samuels, Ben (April 22, 2021). "House Democrats to Urge Blinken: Use All Antisemitism Definitions at Your Disposal". Haaretz.
- ^ Samuels, Ben (May 4, 2021). "Jewish Establishment Groups Put Up a Fight Against New Antisemitism Definitions". Haaretz. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ Schrader, Emily. "New 'Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism' definition unneeded - opinion". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ Ayyash, Mark Muhannad (April 21, 2021). "The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism is an orientalist text". Al Jazeera. Retrieved May 22, 2021.