Politicising anti-Semitism: the USA’s and UK’s flawed definition
NOVANEWS
By Lawrence Davidson
The “working definition”
“Back in the day,” which in this case was 8 February 2007, the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism adopted a “working definition” of anti-Semitism which included the following point: It is anti-Semitic to “deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavour)”. The whole definition, including the quoted sentence, did not originate with the State Department. It was originally “written collaboratively by a small group of non-governmental organisations” which remained unnamed.
This “working definition” has proved to have staying power. Thus, the US Congress has used the State Department document in devising its Anti-Semiti...