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Yale Adopts IHRA Definition, Brown Launches New Training Program Amid Trump Campus Antisemitism Crackdown

People protest the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, across the entrance to Yale, prior to commencement at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, US, May 20, 2024. Photo: Michelle McLoughlin via Reuters Connect.

Yale University has quietly adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, according to a new investigative report by the Yale Daily News, the school’s official campus newspaper.

IHRA — an intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries including the US — adopted a “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016. Since then, the definition has been widely accepted by Jewish groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum as a reference tool which helps policymakers determine what constitutes an incident of antisemitism, and it is now used by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations.

According to the definition, antisemitism “is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” It provides 11 specific, contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere. Beyond classic antisemitic behavior associated with the likes of the medieval period and Nazi Germany, the examples include denial of the Holocaust and newer forms of antisemitism targeting Israel such as demonizing the Jewish state, denying its right to exist, and holding it to standards not expected of any other democratic state.

Yale University apparently enacted the policy change following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, the News said, noting that an archived webpage containing the section of the disciplinary code to which the definition was added shows a revision date of March 28. The paper added that the university never formally announced its adoption of what would have been a highly acclaimed move in some circles and a deplored one in others. Jewish civil rights groups such as the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and Anti-Defamation League (ADL) encourage the definition’s adoption, as well as codification in law, while others argue it weaponizes the American people’s abhorrence of antisemitism to censor criticism of Israel — an accusation its advocates regard as a slander.

Writing to the Yale Daily News, Yale University officials downplayed the significance of the measure, saying it is “not intended to infringe free speech or the free expression of ideas” and even denying that the school holds “a separate definition” of antisemitism.” The Algemeiner has asked the university to clear up the matter. This article will be updated accordingly.

Yale became a hub of anti-Israel activism last academic year, with protesters demanding that the school boycott the Jewish state.

In other higher education news, Brown University recently reconstituted its anti-discrimination trainings to comply with a July 2024 settlement negotiated with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, The Brown Daily Herald reported on Tuesday. “Brown’s response to reports of discrimination and harassment” will be upgraded by the new trainings, the university’s executive vice president for planning and policy, Russell Carey, told the paper. Spokesperson Brian Clark, volunteering information Carey declined to disclose, confirmed that they will address “antisemitism.”

Brown was accused in 2023 of responding inadequately to a number of antisemitic incidents, including a Jewish student being called a “Zionist pig Jew” in a complaint filed by the editorial board of the conservative higher education news outlet Campus Reform. Following its agreement with OCR, the university denied violating civil rights laws, stressing that the allegations which prompted the federal government to investigate it were lodged by an organization “who has no affiliation with Brown or presence on its campus.”

Writing in a press release, it continued: “Many of the required actions outlined in the resolution agreement are underway and previously announced by the university … In some cases, the university agreed to further enhance and clarify its existing policies and procedures. In other cases, the university agreed to expand previously announced efforts, such as broadening the scope of training on nondiscrimination and harassment.”

The reforms may have come too late. As previously reported by The Algemeiner, the Trump administration plans to terminate $510 million worth of federal contracts and grants awarded to Brown University — an institution that is already struggling to cover a $46 million budget shortfall.

The university’s alleged failure to mount a response to the campus antisemitism crisis, as well as its embrace of the diversity, equity, and, inclusion (DEI) movement — perceived by many across the political spectrum as an assault on merit-based upward mobility and causing incidents of anti-White and anti-Asian discrimination — prompted the alleged pending action by the federal government, according to the right-leaning outlet The Daily Caller, which first reported the news last week.

Brown’s Jewish community has since come to the university’s defense, issuing a joint statement with the Brown Corporation which said that the campus is “peaceful and supportive campus for its Jewish community.”

The letter, signed by members of the local Hillel International chapter and Chabad on College Hill, continued: “Brown University is a place where Jewish life not only exists but thrives. While there is more work to be done, Brown, through the dedicated efforts of its administration, leadership, and resilient spirit of its Jewish community, continues to uphold the principles of inclusion, tolerance, and intellectual freedom that have been central to its identity since 1764.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post Yale Adopts IHRA Definition, Brown Launches New Training Program Amid Trump Campus Antisemitism Crackdown first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Antisemitism Spike Is Top Concern in Survey of Global Jewish Population

Israeli President Isaac Herzog looks on during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not pictured, in Washington, DC, on Oct. 25, 2022. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS

A study polling more than 10,000 Jews across the world that was released on Wednesday by Voice of the People shows that worries about rising antisemitism now dominate lists of community challenges across demographics.

Working together with the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel, the group led by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the findings of the report will inform a council of 150 Jewish leaders from around the world.

“This is not just a data set — it’s a global Jewish reality check,” Shirel Dagan-Levy, CEO of Voice of the People, said in a statement. She added that the survey shows “a community that is hurting, but also more united than ever in its desire to stand tall, protect its heritage, and shape a stronger, safer future.”

Researchers focused on identifying what Jews saw as leading problems in their communities. Top responses included rising antisemitism (76 percent agreeing), Israel-diaspora relations (56 percent), Jewish-non-Jewish relations (49 percent), polarization within the Jewish world (49 percent), and preserving Jewish culture and heritage (46 percent).

“Antisemitism surging to unprecedented levels since Oct. 7 was the top concern by a wide margin,” Voice of the People said in a press release. “Respondents cited personal experiences of hate speech, exclusion, and discrimination — particularly in schools, universities, and on social media. Many reported suppressing their Jewish identity in public out of fear. The level of concern cut across age, geography, and level of observance.”

Neta Danciger, chief marketing and product officer of Voice of the People, added that “to truly hear the voices of our global Jewish community, we had to meet them where they are — online, across continents, and across generations.” She continued, “By combining the reach of digital and social media with a rigorous, community-driven survey model, we were able to capture authentic, real-time insights that reflect not only the challenges Jews face today, but also the resilience and unity that define our future.”

On connections between Israel and diaspora Jewish communities, researchers found a mix of results, both that some younger diaspora Jews felt greater distance from Israel while others felt a surge of emotional connection.

Nearly half of Jews described greater feelings of alienation from some non-Jewish spaces, particularly those of a progressive ideological orientation, due to what Voice of the People described as “misinformation, anti-Israel rhetoric, and ignorance about Jewish history” being “key drivers of mistrust and social isolation.”

As concerned as Jews were with those outside of their community, equal numbers also saw the internal divisions among politics, ideology, and generations as a problem in need of attention.

The survey noted some of these differences according to age.

Gen Z (82 percent) and millennials (81 percent) most identified antisemitism as a top problem. “Younger respondents expressed acute distress over hostility in social and digital spaces, with many reporting a sense of betrayal from progressive allies and a struggle to safely and confidently express their Jewish identity. Campus-based antisemitism and social media harassment were cited frequently,” Voice of the People stated.

Members of Generation X in particular (78 percent) tended to hide public expressions of their Jewish identity to avoid antisemitism while Baby Boomers and Silent Generation respondents (68 each) focused their concerns on “the future of Israel, Jewish continuity, and a sense that historical cycles of persecution may be repeating,” according to Voice of the People.

Researchers also identified geographic trends.

Jews in Israel (89 percent) said they felt strong concerns for Jews in the diaspora, seeing rising antisemitism as a threat to the collective Jewish future.

In the United States, respondents (78 percent) described failures of institutions to offer support, especially in academic and professional settings, while in the United Kingdom, 81 percent said they felt a need to conceal their Jewish identity in public.

Of those living in France, 73 percent said they worried about antisemitic rhetoric, public hostility, and misinformation.

For Jews in Argentina (87 percent) and Mexico (84 percent) concerns about rising antisemitism went alongside a greater sense of pride in their Jewish identity.

Majorities in South Africa (75 percent) and in Australia (65 percent) supported education, solidarity, and local activism to counter antisemitism.

The survey also offered respondents the opportunity to provide open-ended answers to questions such as “How have recent events impacted your sense of Jewish identity and community?”

One person quoted in the report answered that “it has made me more acutely aware of antisemitism and that very few people or communities care about what happens to us except us.”

The post Antisemitism Spike Is Top Concern in Survey of Global Jewish Population first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Global Leaders Sound Alarm on Surge of Antisemitism at IHRA Conference

British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference in Jerusalem on May 27, 2025. Photo: Screenshot

British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned that anti-Zionism has become “the new antisemitism,” amid mounting global concern over a surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Jewish hate crimes

Speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, Mirvis asserted that anti-Zionism is increasingly being weaponized to mask anti-Jewish sentiment, disguised as legitimate political criticism of Israel.

Hosted by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the annual IHRA conference — held last year in the United Kingdom — began with a moment of silence honoring the two Israeli embassy staffers murdered in Washington, DC last week.

IHRA is an intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries dedicated to combating antisemitism and promoting Holocaust research and education. In 2016, IHRA adopted a “working definition” of antisemitism which in the ensuing years has been widely accepted by Jewish groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum. It is now used by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations.

In his speech, Mirvis emphasized Jerusalem’s vital role as both Israel’s capital and the enduring spiritual and cultural center of Jewish identity and faith.

“For Jews, the very presence of Almighty God is manifest here in this holy city more than in any other place on earth. And God gave this city and this land to the Jewish people for all time,” Mirvis said during the two-day conference.

“Israel is not just a geopolitical reality for the Jewish people. It is far more than that. It’s the center of our Jewish religion,” the Jewish leader continued. “So therefore, if you are anti-Zionist, you are also anti-Jewish. But more than that, you’re anti-Judaism, and your animosity affects the very wellbeing of Jews right around the world.”

Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, anti-Israel activism has sparked a rise in antisemitic incidents. In this context, longstanding antisemitic stereotypes are increasingly being directed at Israel, with the term “Zionist” weaponized to mask deep-rooted antisemitic tropes under the pretense of legitimate political critique.

At the same event, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech, calling on European leaders to resist the growing demonization of the Jewish state.

Anti-Israel protesters in European countries “are basically challenging Western civilization [and] free societies as we understand them,” Netanyahu said. Many of these leaders “want to control the rampant attacks that are then directed at them for having relations with Israel, for having contact with it.”

“What you try to do is try to corral your victim when in fact, your countries are the victim. Because what is being done is an attempt to deny Israel, and in fact all free societies the ability to fight these barbarians,” the Israeli leader continued.

“Don’t succumb to the vilification, don’t succumb to this complete aversion of morality,” Netanyahu said. “I urge you to fight antisemitism not only because it’s right. I urge you to fight antisemitism because it will save you.”

During his speech, Netanyahu also warned that Israel is fighting “not merely a seven-front war [against Iran-backed proxies in the Middle East], but an eight-front war,” describing it as a broader struggle of “civilization against barbarism.”

“The most important thing you have to do in fighting antisemitism is to stand up and not be cowered,” the Israeli premier continued. “Do not be afraid to speak up. Speak up, stand up for the truth, stand up for the Jewish people, stand up for civilization.”

During the conference, Saar also delivered a speech in which he condemned international leaders and governments seeking to impose an arms embargo on Israel.

“If these initiatives will be successful, Israel will simply be eliminated,” the top Israeli diplomat said. “There will be another Holocaust – this time on the soil of the Land of Israel.”

“The ancient desire to eliminate the Jewish people has become stronger. It has become a plan of action for our enemies,” he continued.

Noting that 80 years have passed since the Holocaust, Saar emphasized IHRA’s vital role in “safeguarding and passing on the stories and lessons of the Holocaust to future generations.”

The post Global Leaders Sound Alarm on Surge of Antisemitism at IHRA Conference first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Democratic Socialists of America Defends Accused DC Jewish Museum Shooter Elias Rodriguez as ‘Political Prisoner’

Elias Rodriguez taken into custody by police. Source: NYPost

Elias Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago, taken into custody by police for allegedly shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025. Photo: Screenshot

A caucus in the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has praised Elias Rodrigez, who was charged with murdering two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, last week, and called for his release from prison.

The “Liberation Caucus,” a self-described “Marxist-Leninist-Maoist” faction of the DSA, announced on Tuesday that the organization added its name to an official statement from the far-left group Unity of Fields, which applauded the shooting of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, last Wednesday evening as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.

“Elias Rodriguez’s targeted attack on two Israeli diplomatic staff on May 21, 2025, was a legitimate act of resistance against the Zionist state and its genocidal campaign in Gaza,” Unity of Fields said in a statement. “After twenty months of non-stop apocalyptic violence wrought by the Zionist movement, inflicted upon Palestinian civilians striving for national liberation as well as on the freedom fighters advancing that national liberation; after twenty months of political and legal repression by these same Zionists against our international movement opposing their campaign of total destruction — the time has now come for real consequences.”

Rodriguez, a 31-year-old left-wing and anti-Israel activist from Chicago, was charged last Thursday in US federal court with two counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting Lischinsky and Milgrim, a young couple about to become engaged to be married, as they left an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC). According to video of the attack and an affidavit filed by US federal authorities supporting the criminal charges, Rodriguez yelled “Free Palestine” while being arrested by police and told law enforcement he “did it for Gaza.”

“Elias Rodriguez’s act was fully justified, at that place where legal and moral duties meet,” United of Fields said in its statement, which was signed by several far-left and anti-Israel organizations. “It is clear that international law, which the West itself established and whose institutions are dominated by the interests of these imperialists, establishes a duty to take action to stop genocide, including the use of violence to do so.”

Unity of Fields urged its followers to lend Rodriguez moral support by sending him letters, donating funds to his prison account, supporting his legal defense, and attending his court hearings. 

The DSA Liberation Caucus praised the statement as “excellent,” and called on authorities to release Rodriguez.

“Excellent statement that we are proud to add our name to. Free Elias Rodriguez and all political prisoners,” the group posted on social media.

DSA, one of the country’s premier leftist political advocacy organizations, has mobilized in recent years to elect anti-Israel members to the US Congress. Influential lawmakers such as US Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Cori Bush (D-MO) are all current members of the socialist organization. Others such as Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Summer Lee (D-PA) are former members.

The organization also counts rising star and aspiring New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani among its ranks. Mamdani has made his anti-Israel activism a centerpiece of his mayoral campaign, accusing the Jewish state of committing “genocide” in Gaza and arguing that it does not offer “equal rights” to all of its citizens. 

The DSA has ramped up its anti-Israel rhetoric during the Gaza war. On Oct. 7, 2023, the organization issued a statement saying that Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel that day was “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime.” The organization also encouraged its followers to attend an Oct. 8 “All Out for Palestine” event in Manhattan.

In January 2024, the DSA issued a statement calling for an “end to diplomatic and military support of Israel.” Then in April, the organization’s international committee, DSA IC, issued a missive defending Iran’s right to “self-defense” against Israel. Iranian leaders regularly call for the Jewish state’s destruction, and Tehran has long provided Hamas with weapons and funding.

The post Democratic Socialists of America Defends Accused DC Jewish Museum Shooter Elias Rodriguez as ‘Political Prisoner’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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