Crif - Paris city council adopts IHRA's definition of antisemitism

On February 4, 2021, the Council of the City of Paris adopted the definition of antisemitism from the IHRA (International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust). Crif welcomes that decision.

Crif thanks Francis Szpiner for proposing the resolution, the Council of Paris for his vote, and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo for her determination to fight antisemitism in all its forms.

Le Conseil de la Ville de @Paris a adopté hier la Définition de l'antisémitisme de l'#IHRA. Merci à @fszpiner pour avoir proposé la résolution, merci au Conseil pour son vote, merci à @Anne_Hidalgo pour sa détermination à combattre l'antisémitisme sous toutes ses formes. pic.twitter.com/57nrqIGQW7

— CRIF (@Le_CRIF) February 5, 2021

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Published on Febuary 5th in The Jerusalem Post, Paris adopts the IHRA definition of antisemitism

The city of Paris adopted the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism during a session of the Council of Paris on Thursday, joining a growing number of cities around the world, including London and more recently the French city of Nice, to make the move.

The decision was taken by the Council of Paris, headed by Paris' Mayor Anne Hidalgo, which consists of 163 councillors and that is responsible for governing the French capital.

The IHRA definition is an internationally agreed classification of antisemitism, which also provides contemporary examples of how antisemitism too often plays out in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere.

"The ability to criticize Israel's policies on many subjects is something that comes under political opinion, and the exercise of political opinion. Criticizing Israel in its essence and existence falls under the definition of antisemitism, it is a new form of antisemitism," Hidalgo said during the vote in the Assembly.

"The State of Israel was also created because there was the Shoah. In order to carry our values of freedom, we must be very clear with the words we use. This definition adopted by our assembly we will give each word its precise meaning and live up to the history of our city.

"We are the city in which the Vel d'Hiv roundup took place, we are the city in which a European Jewish community has settled down and made this city its city and the Republic its Republic, and this history commits us, "she continued.

The Israeli Embassy in Paris welcomed the adoption of the IHRA definition on Twitter.