Why antisemitism needs to be defined

Let’s examine the argument presented by critics of the definition: that the IHRA definition stifles criticism of Israel and hampers freedom of speech. While Israel is the world’s only Jewish state, “the Jews” and “Israel” are not interchangeable. The IHRA definition of antisemitism is the consensus definition that best reflects lived experiences of Jews today. Many Ontario municipalities use the definition to help understand antisemitism — as do 37 countries across the world. Because, to combat antisemitism effectively, it must first be defined.