Freedom of Speech in UK HE : The Adverse Impact of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

JVL Introduction

BRISMES (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies) and the ELSC (European Legal Support Center) have cooperated to report on the dire effect the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism (WDA) is having on British University students and staff.

They have examined the 38 completed complaints in 14 universities that cited the IHRA WDA to support an allegation of antisemitism. In  every case the allegation was rejected. on the one hand this demonstrates the robustness of complaints procedures. On the other being subject to such an allegation s wounding and has severe effects on the personal and working lives of the people unjustly accused. The complaints have the intended effect, not  of combatting antisemitism which was absent in these cases, but of intimidating others from campaign in support of Palestinian rights and against Israeli oppression.

This report conforms what JVL have long argued: the WDA is designed not to protect Jews but to shield Israel.

This report follows on an earlier ELSC report on attacks on advocates fro Palestininad rights which was covered in an earlier post Suppressing Palestinian Rights Advocacy through the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

This report was the subject of a Guardian Article Antisemitism definition used by UK universities leading to ‘unreasonable’ accusations.

This article was originally published by ELSC web on Wed 13 Sep 2023. Read the original here.