"To make your article more balanced, please include some of the debate around IHRA’s illustrative examples of antisemitism, as well as the fact that it has been rejected by human rights and other civil society groups for wrongly labeling criticism of Israel as antisemitic."
February 16, 2024
To:
Bonnie MacPherson, Reporter, The Creemore Echo (ON)
Trina Berlo, Editor, The Creemore Echo (ON)
Dear Bonnie MacPherson,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding an article titled “Clearview asked to fight antisemitism,” published by The Creemore Echo on February 16, 2024.
In your article, you report on pushes by the chairman and co-founder of the South Georgian Bay Jewish Community for Clearview Township to adopt IHRA’s definition of antisemitism. Although you provide the general definition of antisemitism according to IHRA, the article fails to accurately portray the debate around the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) conceptualization of the term. You should add that IHRA gives illustrative examples of antisemitism, including the claim that the existence of Israel is a racist endeavor, as well as other instances involving criticism of Israel.
By emphasizing that IHRA has these illustrative examples that conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, readers would understand how reasonable the criticism of the IHRA definition is and why it is not legally binding. To make your article more balanced, please include some of the debate around IHRA’s illustrative examples of antisemitism, as well as the fact that it has been rejected by human rights and other civil society groups for wrongly labeling criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
I hope The Creemore Echo will add this context promptly.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East