Israel's ambassador to the United Nations and the US, Gilad Erdan, met on Wednesday with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)'s antisemitism envoy Miguel Moratinos in order to encourage the UN to adopt the IHRA's definition of antisemitism.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The IHRA definition will allow the UN to more efficiently fight antisemitism within its ranks, including on the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Erdan said. Adopting the definition will also facilitate improved sanctioning of state representatives who espouse antisemitism, as officials from Iran and other countries have done on numerous occasions on UN stages.
During the meeting, Erdan told Guterres that "the IHRA's definition of antisemitism is now that global standard, and has been adopted by 34 countries. The definition provides an answer not just to the fight against classical antisemitism, but also against modern antisemitism – including the negation of Israel's right to exist, along with discriminatory treatment and demands of Israel that are not made of any other country. Last year, the definition was officially adopted by Bahrain's King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, which is essentially the first time the definition was fully adopted by an Arab state."
The Israeli ambassador went on to emphasize that "it cannot be that even Arab countries are starting to adopt the definition and only the UN remains behind."
He added: "Just this week, the Anti-Defamation League published a report showing that one-third of Jewish students experienced antisemitism on US campuses over the past year and that 15% of Jewish students felt the need to conceal their Jewish identity on campus. Sadly, antisemitism is everywhere and is a phenomenon that the UN cannot ignore, and it is its duty to fight it and not just talk about it.
"Recognizing the correct definition of antisemitism is a first and important step in being able to fight it, and I expect the UN to move quickly on this issue. If the definition is adopted by the UN, it will be an important achievement for the State of Israel and the Jewish people," Erdan said.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
