The Battle of Definitions: Unmasking the White House’s Antisemitism Strategy

Major Focus: The latest draft of the White House’s national antisemitism strategy is causing a stir in the Jewish community. The strategy is expected to highlight the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a definition widely accepted by mainstream Jewish groups. However, it also references the Nexus definition, an alternative promoted by progressive groups¹.

Why This Matters: The IHRA definition is seen as a crucial tool in combating antisemitism, particularly in the context of anti-Zionist attacks on college campuses. Kenneth Marcus, chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, emphasizes that “the IHRA definition is the best tool that we have available to demonstrate that, while not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, some of it is”¹.

However, the inclusion of the Nexus definition, which argues that double standards targeting Israel are not inherently antisemitic, is seen as a victory for progressive Jewish groups. These groups have been lobbying for the White House not to endorse the IHRA definition alone¹.

What’s Next: The strategy is expected to be released by Wednesday, May 24¹. The inclusion of the Nexus definition could potentially undermine the widespread Jewish communal support for the strategy. This poses a significant challenge for many Jewish organizations, as they will have to decide whether and how strongly to support the White House plan¹.

Quotes: Kenneth Marcus, chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, said, “The IHRA definition is the best tool that we have available to demonstrate that, while not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, some of it is”¹.

Facts and Data: The strategy is expected to be released by Wednesday, May 24¹.

Sources:

1. “Latest draft of White House antisemitism strategy highlights IHRA definition, but also references alternative”, Jewish Insider, Link ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷