Letter: The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism can help Clifton

Scott Richman
Updated ·1 min read
20

Regarding "Clifton rejects antisemitism definition after hundreds pack Council meeting," NorthJersey.com, July 19:

The recent article by Hannan Adely, "Clifton rejects antisemitism definition after hundreds pack Council meeting," omits important details about the situation in Clifton, New Jersey, which culminated in the Town Council’s July 18 decision to pull a resolution that would have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Anti-Semitism.

First, the article does not sufficiently describe the context of rising antisemitic incidents in Clifton that prompted this resolution’s introduction — including white supremacist flyers this spring and six separate instances of highly visible anti-Semitic graffiti in June. The piece also omitted important perspectives and quotations from organizations that support the IHRA Definition, choosing instead to include quotations implying that adopting the IHRA Definition stifles speech and prevents education about the Palestinian struggle. This is simply not true. One can absolutely teach about the Palestinian experience and criticize the policies of the Israeli government (as we do our own government) without being labeled antisemitic under the IHRA Definition.

Hundreds showed up at a Clifton City Council meeting on July 18, 2023 to express concern about a a resolution to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
Hundreds showed up at a Clifton City Council meeting on July 18, 2023 to express concern about a a resolution to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

While we support the Council’s decision to remove this resolution from its agenda in order to build bridges within the community, we remain concerned by falsehoods shared during the July 18 meeting regarding Israel and antisemitism more broadly. This is precisely why the IHRA Definition is needed, and why it has been embraced in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism — it is one important tool that governments and other stakeholders can use to raise awareness regarding antisemitism’s complex manifestations and impact at a time of rising incidents across the country.

Scott Richman is the regional director of ADL New York/New Jersey.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Why Clifton NJ should embrace the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism