Handbook for the practical use of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition for antisemitism, while not legally binding, has become a widely used tool around the world to educate people about antisemitism, as well as recognise and counter its manifestations. The working definition of antisemitism, adopted by consensus, represents a shared understanding of the key issue of antisemitism among the IHRA’s Member Countries.

This document was commissioned by the European Commission and published jointly with the IHRA, with support from the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Based on the comprehensive research carried out by the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (Bundesverband RIAS), the handbook provides an overview of good practices by international organisations, national administrations, civil society and Jewish communities from across Europe. The 35 good practices are ranging from training for law enforcement to incident recording and reporting. Furthermore, the handbook includes 22 sourced incidents of antisemitism in Europe that highlight the relevance of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism when assessing manifestations of antisemitism.

The purpose of this guidance is:

• to present the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, along with guiding examples, and to relate these to the contexts of real-world antisemitic incidents and crimes;
• to illustrate good practices in the application of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and
• to offer a checklist for using the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism across different policy areas.

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