By all accounts, it is highly unlikely that the Biden administration will get a diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and Saudi Arabia. To put it another way, the possibility that Biden will bring about such a historic turning point is the same as the possibility that he will launch a military attack on the nuclear facilities in Iran. Both are highly improbable.

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Why does this seem to be the case? This week, while the US reprimanded Israel for "breaking promises" due to the return to Homesh, the Jewish community in the US was upset about a completely different matter. And please don't yawn, it is very relevant to us.

After many months of anticipation, President Joe Biden published the first-ever US national strategy to counter antisemitism following unprecedented waves of antisemitism in the US. The situation was recently summed up by none other than Deputy Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Antisemitism Aaron Keyak. In an interview with Israel Hayom, he said that "When I take my daughter to shul the first thing we do after I sit down and before I put on my tallit is scope out the exits in case the worst were to happen...the history of antisemitism that Jews in any country may have to leave at a moment's notice."

To Biden's credit, it should be said that he hasn't tried to simplify or gloss over the situation. The incumbent president is a Zionist, he loves Israel to his bones and has Jewish grandchildren. He therefore spoke harshly in condemning antisemitism, and as mentioned, ordered the formulation of a presidential plan to combat it. But there has been great disappointment. There is indeed a crucially important plan and message. However, the actions, in typical Biden administration fashion, are a little vague. "President Biden has invested significant attention in addressing antisemitism. This is commendable," says Kenneth Marcus, an antisemitism researcher and chairman of the Louis Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law in the US.

According to Marcus, "Biden's strategy is impressively broad and provides a large number of programs and policies to deal with antisemitism, such as increasing support for education about Jewish heritage and the Holocaust. The emphasis on physical security for synagogues and other Jewish institutions is also welcome and, unfortunately, very necessary."

After the praise, comes the criticism. "The Biden administration also adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism but unfortunately lowered the standards of what counts as antisemitism. The most worrying thing is that the administration seems to be backing away from a long-standing commitment to issue guidelines to combat antisemitism. The Biden administration has repeatedly promised to issue Department of Education regulations that apply the executive order to combat antisemitism. The White House's failure to mention this crucial activity is deeply disappointing. So the rhetoric is very strong and the intention is good, but the essence is not always present."

Not here

Marcus, who has held human rights positions in the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations, is not alone in criticizing the Biden administration for only going halfway. The Jewish establishment did welcome the plan launched by the White House. However, other bodies, such as Stop Antisemitism, expressed disappointment.

The forum, which has always taken a firmer line in the fight against Jew-hatred in America, was one of the first to recognize the wave we are in the midst of. It wrote that it is "extremely disturbed by several key aspects of the White House's antisemitism strategy. Our country's crisis of Jew-hatred needs to be addressed clearly, completely, and as a phenomenon unto itself, and the Biden Administration's plan falls short on all counts."

According to the forum, "Against the advice of major antisemitism advocacy organizations, the plan does not use the IHRA definition to delineate what counts as antisemitism, instead relegating it to a brief paragraph that also includes the inferior, competing Nexus definition. This flies in the face of the plan's assertion that "If we cannot name, identify, and admit a problem, we cannot begin to solve it."

And that is the heart of the matter. The Zionist-American president did not insist that anti-Zionism be considered a definition of antisemitism. This is despite the fact that dozens of countries in the world, much less close to Israel, have done so in recent years. Disappointingly, our great ally does not go all the way. Yes, Biden's America refuses to say that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, even though the IHRA definition says so.

Why is it necessary to adhere to the IHRA's definition of antisemitism as binding? There are many reasons for this. IHRA has become a global benchmark. If the US will not comply with it, who will? In addition, through this definition, the administrations of higher education institutions on campuses will have the tools to enforce disciplinary measures against those who harm Jews or supporters of Israel on campuses. When there is no binding definition, each institution will continue to adopt independent policies, meaning Israel haters will be able to carry on rampaging.

Tug of War

What Biden does and does not do on the antisemitism issue will determine his future moves regarding Saudi Arabia. In order to bring about a breakthrough between Jerusalem and Riyadh, Biden has to go all the way, turning the policy toward Mohammed bin Salman on its head from a cold disassociation to a warm embrace. This requires courage, strength, and the ability to go against the grain. The reality is he has not been acting in this way for months already.

Biden's passive approach on the issues of both antisemitism and Saudi Arabia is very reminiscent of his approach to Iran. Everything seems to indicate that Biden is not going to take action. Although he has stated hundreds of times that he will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, now on his watch Tehran is closer to the bomb than ever before.

Additionally, the US Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley made a disturbing statement in Congress that the "United States remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have a fielded, nuclear weapon." It is okay for Iran to develop the weapons but not deploy them. This statement should set off alarm bells in Israel, and make it clear that just like on the issue of antisemitism, Biden may want to take action but cannot.

In fact, those who follow US news know that Biden never goes all the way. Regarding the war in Ukraine, the effort to stop illegal immigration to the US, or even this week when he let the Republican speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, call the shots on raising the debt ceiling. As a skilled politician, he mediates between hawkish groups and maneuvers between pressures; however, unconventional decisions have not been a hallmark of his presidency.

"On both issues (the war on antisemitism and the Iranian challenge), there is a struggle between two different camps within the administration – center-Left and far-Left," says Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in the US and a former senior official in the Trump administration.

"Those who push for the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism or a tougher stance towards Iran are pushed back by those who oppose the IHRA and support a worse deal with Iran. That is why in both cases it ends up with such a mixed policy, full of contrasts and internal contradictions," explains Goldberg.

What is clear is that someone who is not able to go all the way and stay true to their inner convictions regarding relatively simple issues such as antisemitism however committed he may be, will certainly not go all the way on monumental struggles, when the establishment opposes the decision and the political party is rebelling.

It's a shame to live in a fantasy world. There is no chance of peace with Saudi Arabia during Biden's current term. Unfortunately, regarding Iran, we do not have the luxury of waiting until January 2025.

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New South Wales has become the first state or territory in Australia to officially adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

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New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, saying it is following in the footsteps of the federal government, which adopted the IHRA definition in October.

"To fight something, you need to be able to identify it, to be able to describe it, to name it," he said. "A definition is an essential and important tool. It's a tool which empowers all those who fight this fight."

Perrottet also said antisemitism "goes against everything our proud, strong, multicultural state stands for."

"We hear the Jewish community, and today we stand with them in the fight against antisemitism. This definition will make a difference. It will help people call out antisemitism wherever it hides – on social media, on educational campuses [and] on the streets of New South Wales. Embracing this definition is an important step to ensure our peaceful, vibrant, multicultural society remains just that."

Following the announcement, New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said the organization is "grateful" to Perrottet and the government "for leading the way amongst state governments."

He said that "every tool that is available to stamp out the scourge of hate speech and racism should be used before speech manifests into something more dangerous."

The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), which is the federal body representing Jewish students on university campuses in Australia and New Zealand, said adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism is a "significant step for Jewish students" across New South Wales.

Its political affairs director Gabrielle Stricker-Phelps said, "antisemitism, particularly on our university campuses, has increased this year and the definition plays an important role in helping communities, institutions and individuals identify and call out antisemitism," as reported by The Australian Jewish News.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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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.

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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.

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The Central European country of Switzerland on Friday became the 36th country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

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"This definition can serve as an additional guide for identifying antisemitic incidents within the framework of the various measures to combat antisemitism in Switzerland," the Federal Council, the Swiss government's executive body, said in a statement, Friday.

Accusing Jewish communities of being collectively responsible for Israel's alleged actions is an example of antisemitism, according to the IHRA definition.

Antisemitic attacks against Jews spiked globally during the 11-day conflict between Israel and Gaza Strip-based terrorists last month.

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The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities and the Platform of Liberal Jews of Switzerland issued a joint statement praising the move by the Swiss government.

"It is very pleasing that the Federal Council also wants to strengthen measures against antisemitism and racism. Both umbrella organizations continue to offer their expertise on this issue and are open to cooperation in specific fields of action," the statement read.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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The IHRA definition is the most widely endorsed one of anti-Semitism to date and has been adopted by more than 30 countries. The signatories come from the entire political spectrum, unequivocally "united by the urgent need to respond to the rising anti-Semitism worldwide."

Among the signatories is Judea Pearl, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the father of Daniel Pearl, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal who was kidnapped and later beheaded by Al-Qaida terrorists in Pakistan in 2001.

According to Pearl, "Adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism is not a perfect cure for Zionophobic hostilities on US campuses. I nevertheless support it as a necessary instrument to jolt college administrators out of their deliberate Inaction."

He continued, saying "the primary importance of the IHRA definition lies in equating the demonization of Israel and the criminalization of her creation with the demonization and criminalization of every Jewish child and every Jewish family who, traditionally and organically, view Israel as the culmination of Jewish history and as a cherished symbol of Jewish identity. Such criminalization of an ethnic minority has no place in the public square."

Another signatory, Najat al-Saied, an academic from Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, wrote that "Jews around the world need to know that they are not alone. The Arab states that signed the Abraham Accords and other Arab states are on their side. Combating anti-Semitism needs to be part of our model for development and modernization."

The now widely adopted working definition states: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

Importantly, according to the signatories, the IHRA working definition "recognizes that contemporary antiדemitism is often directed against the State of Israel," focusing "obsessively on Zionism," which anti-Semites seek to "malign and oppose."

In doing so, the signatories say, this "cannot be understood as anything but an assault on Jewish history, identity and safety."

"When Israel's very existence is delegitimized and threatened, when Israelis and Jews are excluded because of their association with the Jewish state, and when anti-Semitic conspiracies and tropes flourish under the guise of anti-Israelism and anti-Zionism, we recognize that this is anti-Semitism," say the signatories.

The letter also acknowledges that academia remains the backbone of contemporary intellectual discussion and framing of the conversation about anti-Semitism – recognizing that Jewish students, in particular, are on the front lines of this campaign of hatred, violence and intimidation.

"We believe in open dialogue and critical discussion with people of good faith worldwide. However, when Israelis and Jews are threatened, we must speak up," the letter states.

'Define that which we are trying to defeat'

The International Legal Forum (ILF), an Israel-based legal network of more than 3,000 lawyers and activists in 30 different countries committed to the fight against anti-Semitism, terror and the delegitimization of Israel in the international legal arena, added its support of the letter.

Arsen Ostrovsky, chair and CEO of ILF, said, "It is imperative in order to defeat this virus of antisemitism and change the narrative, where false claims and malicious distortions of truth are dangerously disguised as acceptable criticism of Zionism and Israel, that we first define that which we are trying to defeat. The IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism offers the best, most widely endorsed and professional means by which to achieve that."

A new report on antisemitism worldwide – published this week by the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Humanities, in cooperation with the European Jewish Congress – indicates worrying trends.
On the one hand, a decrease was seen in physical violence resulting from the reduced encounters between Jews and violent anti-Semites due to the coronavirus lockdowns over the last year.

On the other hand, accusations against Jews were manifested in a rise in blatant anti-Semitic expressions on the Internet in general and on social networks specifically. In addition, new phenomena developed online, such as "Zoombombing" and an increased presence of white-supremacist and neo-Nazi activity on the dark net, which, according to the report, is difficult to quantify.

Ostrovsky added that "at a time when there is a spate of alternate definitions of antisemitism in a blatant attempt to water down and undermine the fight against this oldest and most enduring of hatreds, as well as its modern manifestation in the assault against Zionism and the State of Israel, it is inspiring to see so many academics and intellectuals from around the world united behind the IHRA working definition as an indispensable tool in identifying and combating antisemitism."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan is promoting an initiative that would see the international body adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.

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So far, 30 countries have adopted the definition, according to which anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.

To enlist the UN to the effort, Erdan recently met with the UN's senior "focal point" on anti-Semitism, Miguel Moratinos, over the weekend. The two discussed options for fighting anti-Semitism as well as the possibility of the UN adopting the IHRA definition of the term in such a way that obligates all of its organizations.

Moratinos is set to meet with central US Jewish organizations on the fight against anti-Semitism.

Such a move, which would likely take a few months, would find officials of countries like Iran in violation of the UN's position when they engage in Holocaust denial.

Erdan said, "Rising anti-Semitism around the world demands we act with additional tools and increase cooperation with the international community to create tools for enforcement against displays of anti-Semitic hatred in the field."

He said, "The UN's adoption of the official definition can limit some of the incitement against Israel at the UN that some of the member-states have grown accustomed to and will also better equip all UN to fight anti-Semitism."

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