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July 13, 2022
OTTAWA – B’nai Brith Canada welcomes the expansion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) membership with the inclusion of New Zealand and calls on all Canadian provinces to follow suit.
This grows the number of full and observer member countries to 45.
In a statement released to mark the occasion, New Zealand indicated that the objectives of IHRA strongly align with its own commitment to combating antisemitism. “In becoming an Observer of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, we reiterate our commitment to promoting education, remembrance and research on the Holocaust to counter the influence of denial and distortion, hate speech and incitement to violence and hatred.”
“The growth of IHRA membership with New Zealand’s inclusion strengthens the fight against antisemitism and in support of the right of the Jewish people to self-determination,” said Marvin Rotrand, National Director of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights. “Australia’s adoption of the IHRA definition, the Philippines embrace of the definition, and Canada’s own commitment last October to better implement the definition across the whole of government, also show the IHRA is moving from strength to strength.”
B’nai Brith is calling on all the provinces of Canada to adhere to the IHRA definition, as New Zealand and many US states have done. Noting that Ontario has done so by Order in Council and Quebec has affirmed its support via a statement in the National Assembly, B’nai Brith believes its timely for other Canadian provinces to do the same.
“We’re encouraged to see more countries as well as American states rapidly adopting and implementing IHRA and they serve as an example to us here in Canada,” stated Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith’s Chief Executive Officer. “Nebraska recently became the 27th American state to join IHRA in the fight against antisemitism and Holocaust denial and distortion. We invite all our Canadian provinces to do the same.”
IHRA is an intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation to combat growing Holocaust denial and antisemitism. Its definition of antisemitism has become a key tool for governments across the democratic world to better define and combat antisemitism.
