We, the people of Ireland, are calling for the removal of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism from the Government's 2025 Plan. This definition has been widely criticized for blurring the line between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism. It is broad and open to interpretation, and of the 11 examples provided of its use by IHRA, 7 specifically label criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic.
There is currently a genocide being perpetrated by Israel in Palestine, which Ireland has acknowledged by supporting a legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. We, the people of Ireland, reject this harmful definition, which could unfairly silence those who oppose Zionism. Adopting this definition threatens our freedom of speech on issues like genocide and the actions of Israel and Zionism. While Zionism claims to be linked to Judaism, it is an ethnocultural nationalist movement, and many Jewish people distance themselves from it, particularly due to its occupation of Palestine and war crimes.
In April 2023, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and over 104 civil society groups signed a letter opposing this definition, warning that it has been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. The letter states: “the IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe. Such misuse has also been criticized by the former Special Rapporteur on Racism E. Tendayi Achiume.” Additionally, over 122 Palestinian and Arab academics, journalists and intellectuals have also expressed their concerns about the IHRA definition.
We strongly reject the use of anti-Semitism as a political tool in the 2025 Programme for Government. This is a serious issue, and misusing anti-Semitism to cover up Zionist crimes in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon is an abuse of the Jewish faith itself.
In conclusion, we demand the immediate removal of this dangerous definition. Our right to protest against genocide in Palestine, Israel, and Zionism is an expression of our freedom of speech, which must be protected and upheld. Our freedom of speech must be maintained, protected and cherished.
