June 1, 2017
Dear Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats MEP,
Amendment to Resolution on antisemitism, re the IHRA definition of antisemitism
Our two previous letters have explained why the IHRA definition of antisemitism is so dangerous to the right to free speech on Israel, and revealed the underhand tactics of the proposers.
The proposed amendment to paragraph 2 will retain its justified call for judicial and law enforcement agencies to strengthen their efforts to deal with antisemitic incidents, while eliminating the unjustified endorsement of the IHRA definition.
Please vote in favour of deleting the struck-through parts of paragraph 2 (split vote) of the Motion for a resolution B8-0383/2017 (EPP, S&D and ALDE):
Calls on the Member States and European Union Institutions and Agencies to adopt and apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance´s (IHRA) working definition[1] of antisemitism in order to strengthen judicial and law enforcement authorities in their efforts to identify and prosecute antisemitic attacks more efficiently and effectively and encourages the Member States to follow the example of UK and Austria in that regard;
When voting on paragraph 2, please vote in favour of the first part and against the second part of the split vote, as shown here:
As we said before, if Parliament considers that an official definition of antisemitism might be needed, and we are not convinced of that, then it should ask the appropriate committee(s) to consider the issue properly. A good model would be the simple definition proposed by the Oxford philosopher Brian Klug. That is “Hostility towards Jews as Jews, in which they are perceived as something other than what they are.” That restricts the definition to statements about Jews or acts against Jews, and does not muddy the waters with issues about Israel.
Yours sincerely,
Dror Feiler, Chair of EJJP, Judar for Israelisk-Palestinsk Fred (Stockholm).
Arthur Goodman, Diplomatic and Parliamentary Liaison officer, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (London)