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Montreal city councillor withdraws motion defining anti-Semitism amid criticism
MONTREAL — A Montreal city councillor withdrew a motion to have the city adopt an international organization’s definition of anti-Semitism on Tuesday, as critics charged that its wording aims to limit criticism of the Israeli state.
Lionel Perez withdrew the motion endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism after it failed to gain support from Mayor Valerie Plante, whose party has a majority.
While the IHRA definition has been adopted by over 30 countries including Canada, some cities and organizations who have considered adopting it have run into opposition from critics who say its wording conflates criticism of the Israeli state with anti-Semitism.
In a council meeting Tuesday morning, Perez said embracing the world’s most widely-used definition of anti-Semitism would facilitate data gathering and be a useful tool for police, boroughs, and groups that work to promote inclusion.