Brooklyn For Peace Statement on Antisemitism

Brooklyn For Peace is committed to working against antisemitism in all forms. Antisemitism has a long history and many disturbing and horrifying  manifestations. That includes the “white nationalists ” in this country, who are openly hostile to Jewish Americans, and others on the right for whom Jewish identity is anathema.

We are opposed, however, to the attempt to conflate criticism of the actions of the Israeli government with antisemitism – a political tactic aimed at shutting down serious debate about US and Israeli policies, (the “weaponization of antisemitism”). For this reason, we reject the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Association) definition, or any other definition, which defines opposition to  Israel or its policies as antisemitism. 

Furthermore, the proposal to enshrine the IHRA into law (S.558 & H.R. 1007, the  Antisemitism Awareness Act)  is deeply disturbing. That approach  has been cynically used to oppose the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement in various settings.   It  has most recently been widely invoked on college  and university campuses to accuse students and teachers of anti-semitism and to subject them to disciplinary actions, revocation of visas of international students, and arbitrary arrest. This has been unjustly applied when students, along with faculty speak out on behalf of Palestinian rights or criticize the Israeli government. If these measure becomes federal law, and are universally applied, it will be a direct threat to academic freedom in all schools and universities as well as to the programs of non-profit organizations which do educational work.