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Motion #D10
Conference is asked to reaffirm its support for free speech on Israel and Palestine and for The Green Party to campaign against adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Antisemitism and in support of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns. We endorse the alternative Jerusalem Declaration of Antisemitism.
Insert into Record of Organisational Statements:
Conference notes the relentless pressure upon public and educational institutions to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and the associated contentious examples referring to Israel and calls upon all Greens to stand firm against its adoption. We endorse the alternative Jerusalem Declaration of Antisemitism (JDA) as a politically credible and principled alternative.
Greens are at the heart of building a movement against racism and fascism, and there is no place for antisemitism, Islamophobia or any other kind of racism in our Party. At a time when the far-right is growing in confidence it is more important than ever to stand against Holocaust denial, anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and any other forms of antisemitic prejudice and hatred.
However, the examples which accompany the IHRA definition systematically conflate opposition to Israeli policies with antisemitism, threatening to undermine many years of practical solidarity with the Palestinian people, including use of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), in the face of decades of dispossession and occupation. Adopting IHRA would mean that BDS would be treated as antisemitic.
Unjustified allegations of antisemitism also set back the fight against antisemitism itself. We believe it is vitally important that Greens continue to speak out to challenge Israel’s history of racism towards the Palestinians without being labelled as antisemitic.
The IHRA definition and its examples have already posed a serious threat to academic freedom, wider freedom of expression and the unjustified attacks upon Green candidates and spokespersons.
Conference instructs GPEX, the Green Party campaigns team and elected Green Party representatives to oppose adoption of the IHRA definition with examples and campaign to protect free speech across our public institutions and universities in accordance with the JDA.