Professor Reem Bahdi has published an opinion piece in The Conversation Canada on the new human rights order which, as she writes, risks restricting criticism of Israel.
Last month, Ontario became the latest jurisdiction to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The province has sown division within and between communities in the process, writes Professor Bahdi.
"The IHRA approach conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism," she continues. "The IHRA approach to antisemitism is hotly debated within the Jewish community. Independent Jewish Voices and well-known personalities like Michele Landsberg and Avi Lewis oppose the IHRA approach. Even the original author of the IHRA’s definition, Kenneth Stern, says that it has been weaponized to suppress criticism of Israel."
"The IHRA approach is so broad that it impacts the rights, reputations and livelihoods of multiple groups, Palestinians included."