IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism

The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016, at its plenary meeting in Bucharest. The definition was drafted in consultation with antisemitism researchers and builds on earlier formulations including the 2005 European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) working definition. The IHRA definition includes a core definition along with eleven illustrative examples, several of which conflate certain forms of criticism of Israel with antisemitism—most controversially, the example stating that 'denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination' by claiming that Israel is a racist endeavor is antisemitic.

The IHRA Working Definition functions as the legal and rhetorical basis for classifying pro-Palestine advocacy as discriminatory conduct under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. It has been adopted by 35+ U.S. states and 135+ local governments, embedding the definition into administrative and legislative frameworks that govern employment contracts, government procurement, and educational institutions. The definition is integrated into Reportify AI's automated legal mapping as the 'ihra_criteria_reference' for generating actionable Title VI violations, creating an algorithmic enforcement loop where the definition is used to automatically classify speech as antisemitic and generate legal complaints.

The IHRA Working Definition is a non-legally binding definition that has been adopted through legislation, executive orders, and resolutions at the federal, state, and local levels. Its contested examples have been criticized by over 100 civil society organizations and academic associations for conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Legal challenges to state-level anti-BDS laws that reference the IHRA definition are ongoing in multiple jurisdictions.