The Canadian province of Manitoba adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism this week. The provinces of Ontario and Alberta had previously adopted the IHRA definition, which recognizes forms of anti-Zionism that constitute anti-Semitism.
“To be effective in combatting anti-Semitism, one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred, it must first be clearly defined,” the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg stated online. “Today, Heather Stefanson, premier of Manitoba, announced Manitoba’s adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, and will use the definition as a tool to identify all forms of anti-Semitism in Manitoba.”
“Anti-Semitism has no place in Manitoba,” Stefanson tweeted, “and today’s announcement shows our commitment to keeping Manitoba an inclusive and safe province.”
According to B’nai Brith Canada, Manitoba had a 125% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 as compared with 2020.
In a statement, Ruth Ashrafi, B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director in Manitoba, offered “to aid the province in implementing the definition through the whole of government so that civil servants and law enforcement can better recognize and combat anti-Semitism. Today is just a beginning. The real work starts tomorrow.”
