“Our safety is bound together with the safety of all people, and none of us is free if we aren’t all free.” –Jewish Voice for Peace.
What is antisemitism?
Our mission at RRE is to oppose racism and bigotry of all kinds and to stand up for marginalized voices. We recognize antisemitism to be serious and dangerous, and with the rise of the MAGA movement it is on the increase.
We hope that by sharing these resources with the Richmond community, we can help support our neighbors, policy makers and others in having meaningful conversations about racial and religious equity and safety here in Vermont, around the country, and around the world.
As it is more and more in the spotlight, the charge of antisemitism has moved to the forefront of the assault on our democracy: it is being used not only to silence criticism of the state of Israel and its actions against Palestinians, it is being used to attack free speech, freedom of thought, higher education, and our most fundamental constitutional protections.
A clear definition of antisemitism is needed for us to continue to engage fully with the social justice work at the heart of RRE. At RRE we have chosen three sets of definitions, composed by three different Jewish organizations, to guide us as we navigate our discussions about Israel, Palestine, and antisemitism. As the Jerusalem Declaration explains, there is a need to improve upon the more commonly used IHRA definition, which has been a source of much confusion and controversy for its failure to distinguish clearly between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. These three sets of definitions are more specific and provide more clarity. We don’t believe any one definition can be perfect; while all three of these are in agreement in their broader outlines, taken together, they can do more to further the educational work of elucidating and identifying what is antisemitism and what is not.
We should all be alert to the antisemitic tropes and threats listed in the definitions. We should also be clear on the distinction between anti-zionism, or speech in support of Palestinian liberation, and hate speech against Jews. This conflation is also dangerous for Jewish people, who are not the authors of Israel’s policies, and who are not protected by diminishing the credibility or integrity of the charge of antisemitism.
1. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism
The product of an initiative that originated in Jerusalem. We include in our number international scholars working in Antisemitism Studies and related fields, including Jewish, Holocaust, Israel, Palestine, and Middle East Studies.
https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/
2.The Nexus Project (The Nexus Project engages with American civic and political leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to fight antisemitism and protect democratic freedoms, including free speech)
Understanding Antisemitism at Its Nexus with Israel and Zionism
https://nexusproject.us/nexus-resources/the-nexus-document/
3.Jewish Voice for Peace
(JVP is the largest progressive Jewish anti-zionist organization in the world)
Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism and Dangerous Conflations
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/11/09/antisemitism-dangerous/