A solemn responsibility

Mount Laurel council has recognized the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

At a meeting earlier this month, Deputy Mayor Stephen Steglik read a proclamation that explains various ways antisemitism is used to attack people of the Jewish faith.

“In the spirit of the Stockholm Declaration,” he noted, “‘with humanity still scarred by antisemitism and xenophobia, the international community shares a solemn responsibility to fight those evils,’ (so) the Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial called (on) the IHRA Plenary in Budapest, 2015, to adopt a working definition of antisemitism.”

The Plenary Bucharest decided in 2016 to adopt the following non-legally binding definition of antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” the definition notes. “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.”

Manifestations might include the targeting of the State of Israel, conceived as Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel, similar to that leveled against any other country, cannot be regarded as antisemitic.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools and the workplace – taking into account the overall context – include but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective, such as, especially, but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy to control the media, economy, government or other institutions.
• Accusing Jews of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by non-Jews.
• Denying the fact, scope, mechanism (concentration camp gas chambers, for example) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people, the Holocaust, by Germany and its allies during World War II.
• Accusing the Jews as people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
• Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination.
• Applying double standards by requiring of Jews a behavior not expected or demanded by any other democratic nation.
• Using symbols and images with classic antisemitism – such as claims of Jews killing Jesus – to characterize Israel or Israelis.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
• Holding Jews collectively responsible for the state of Israel’s actions.

Antisemitic acts are criminal when they are so defined by law. Criminal acts are antisemitic when the targets of attacks, whether people or property such as buildings and schools are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.

As Mayor Nikitas Moustakas and council formalized the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in its proclamation, the former expressed the significance of the topic in the township and thanked those who came up with the idea, including members of the Jewish Community Relations Council of South Jersey who also attended the meeting.

“This governing body find this issue very important,” the mayor expressed. “I want to thank David Spector, who brought this to my attention, and Sabrina (Spector, executive director of the JCRC), thank you so much for all your work and everything you do, as well as everybody who has come out today in support of this (proclamation).”

The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 7.