Argentina Adopts IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism

Argentina has adopted Monday the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, its foreign ministry announced.

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The ministry said in a statement that all branches of the government will have to use the definition as “a tool to sanction and elimination of behaviors and attitudes based on hostility and prejudice, to reinforce prevention measures and to deepen the education of respect for plurality.”

The president of the Argentine Jewish political umbrella group DAIA, Jorge Knoblovits, said the move will allow the country to better combat domestic anti-Semitism.

The IHRA definition defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” that is “directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The definition also includes “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination … by claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavor,” and “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

But in recent years the latter parts of the definition have come under fire, as some critics say it prevents free speech and the right to criticize Israel’s policies.

Since 2002, Argentina has been the only Latin American member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, while El Salvador and Uruguay are observer countries.