Envoy’s definition won’t conflate antisemitism with criticising Israel
The IHRA definition does no more than recognise that anti-Zionism may or may not be antisemitic in its motivation or effects. It nearly always depends on how points are made, and content.
Of course, political criticism of Israel is legitimate, even warranted sometimes. But antisemitism, a term for anti-Jewish racism and hatred, is not. That is at the heart of Australia’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal’s call for effective education, monitoring and management of those who overstep the mark.
In Australia, criticism of Israel is commonplace. Deserved criticism of the wild men in the Israeli cabinet, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for their racist statements about Palestinians is a case in point.
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Michael Easson is chairman of EG Funds and edits the New Middle East newsletter.
