Huntington Becomes Latest New York Town to Adopt IHRA Antisemitism Definition

The Town of Huntington, New York, adopted earlier this week the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

Huntington joined a growing list of Long Island municipalities that have adopted the IHRA definition in the past year, including the Village of Great Neck, Town of North Hempstead, Town of Oyster Bay, and City of Glen Cove.

Suffolk County — where Huntington is located — adopted the IHRA definition in May, as did neighboring Nassau Country in June.

Elsewhere in New York State, Westchester County’s Town of New Castle, also adopted the IHRA definition in June.

Overall, six municipal and two county governments have adopted the IHRA definition on New York.

In Huntington, the adoption was approved by the town’s governing board by a majority resolution, without objection, at a meeting on Tuesday.

Adopting the widely-recognized IHRA definition and its accompanying list of 11 examples of contemporary antisemitism is one of the most effective steps governments can take to combat rising Jew-hatred, and it reflects a genuine commitment to fighting antisemitism in all its forms and a firm understanding of its underlying causes.

Yet, while a vast majority of local councils in the United Kingdom, for example, have made this important move, it has not become commonplace yet in the United States, which is unfortunate given the sharp rise of antisemitism in the country in recent years.

To protect their Jewish communities and foster religious tolerance, local governments throughout the U.S. should adopt the definition and use it as a guide to ferret out antisemitic hatred.