IHRA Plenary statement on recent antisemitic violence and hate speech
In light of the grave acts of antisemitic violence that have occurred in many places worldwide, the IHRA Plenary condemns the illegal hate speech which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, and supports the statement issued by the IHRA Chair, Ambassador Chris J. Lazaris, on 14 May: IHRA Chair, Ambassador Chris Lazaris, states: "We strongly condemn the antisemitic violence and hate speech that has taken place in response to the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East. While freedoms of speech and protest are essential pillars of all democracies, nothing...
IHRA Chair's Statement on the attack at Hohe Weide Synagogue in Hamburg
IHRA Chair Ambassador Michaela Küchler states, "The news of yesterday's attack on a Hamburg synagogue left me with a deep feeling of unease. The IHRA stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in Hamburg and wishes the victim a speedy recovery. "This is, as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rightly pointed out, unfortunately not a one-off case. One year after the attack in Halle, we see that the threat to Germany's Jewish community remains. Beyond this recent attack in Hamburg, the rise in antisemitic incidents, both in Germany and beyond, reveal a worrying trend where people...
IHRA Chair's Statement on the antisemitic campaign by the Nordic Resistance Movement
IHRA Chair Ambassador Michaela Küchler says, “The recent antisemitic actions coordinated by the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement in the days leading up to Yom Kippur are deeply troubling. Some of the incidents are now under police investigation. This dangerous campaign is antisemitic and poses a threat to our Jewish citizens. "When antisemitism and incitement to hatred or violence occur, all of society is affected. More and more, we see how extremist groups feel emboldened to spread their hate-filled messages. This is unacceptable. “With international cooperation, we can address the...
IHRA Executive Secretary condemns antisemitic displays at Aalst and Campo de Criptana Carnivals
Dr. Kathrin Meyer, IHRA Executive Secretary, comments: “The annual carnivals in Aalst and Campo de Criptana, featuring antisemitic and Nazi-themed displays and floats, are deeply offensive to the Jewish community and to Holocaust victims, survivors and their families. The tradition of carnival has typically focused on mocking powerful institutions such as the church or the state – not on humiliating minority groups who are once again being threatened and murdered throughout Europe. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) works tirelessly to counter Holocaust distortion and...
IHRA Executive Secretary statement on knife attack in New York State
Dr Kathrin Meyer, Executive Secretary of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) said: “It was with deep shock that I learned of the knife attack at a rabbi’s house in New York State on Saturday 28 December, the seventh night of Hannukah. I express my deepest solidarity with those wounded and threatened in the attack and with the whole Jewish community across Rockland County. We condemn this antisemitic hate crime. A Rockland County legislator said the Jewish community was “scared but not surprised” by this latest abhorrent incident which is a frightening indication of the...
IHRA Chair Statement on threats against Liliana Segre
Ambassador Georges Santer, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), said: “We are outraged at the barrage of threats made against Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre, which have led to her being given police protection. IHRA condemns antisemitism in all forms and we are alarmed by the abuse and hatred directed towards a Holocaust survivor. The intolerable hate speech and incitement to hatred aimed at Mrs Segre is itself proof of the need for the commission against antisemitism, racism, hate and violence which she proposed in the Italian Senate and which was...
IHRA Chair’s Statement on Shooting at Chabad of Poway Synagogue, San Diego
“As the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, it was with deep shock and sadness that I learned of the shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in San Diego on 27 April, on the final day of Passover. In the name of all 32 Member Countries of the IHRA, I express sincere condolences to the families and friends of Lori Gilbert-Kaye who was killed in the attack and our thoughts and sympathies are with Rabbi Goldstein, Noya Dahan and Almog Peretz who were wounded. We stand with the Jewish community in San Diego County. With humanity still scarred by genocide, ethnic...
IHRA Chair's Statement on Adoption of Declaration on Antisemitism by the Justice and Home Affairs Council
"In my capacity as Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I commend the unanimous adoption of the declaration on antisemitism by the Justice and Home affairs Council by the 28 Member States on 6 December. The declaration is a strong statement that democracies must pay closer attention to - and take specific steps to combat - the problem of antisemitism. Existential questions have been raised about the viability of continued Jewish life in Europe – a community that has existed in Europe for millennia. Were this to change, so too would the future of Europe as a...
IHRA Chair’s Statement on Shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
“It was with great shock that I learned of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on 27 October. As the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and in the name of all 31 Member Countries, I express sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the survivors, and the whole Jewish community in Pittsburgh. We condemn this antisemitic hate crime and call on the international community and all political, social and religious leaders on the national and local level to speak out against hate...
IHRA Chair's Statement on the Murder of Mireille Knoll
"It was with deep sadness and concern that I heard the news of Mireille Knoll’s death in Paris last week. The decision of French prosecutors to file preliminary charges for murder with antisemitic motives is correct and sets an important international signal that governments, judicial systems and police forces must be aware of and sensitive to antisemitic motivations for hate crimes. I commend the statement of French leaders condemning antisemitism and am convinced that the French prosecutors will ensure a thorough investigation into the crime. The fact that today, some eighty years...