The state of Arizona has passed legislation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism.
HB 2675, which passed on Tuesday by a vote of 49-4, ensures that the IHRA definition will be considered by state authorities when they investigate incidents of crime or discrimination.
The IHRA definition has been adopted or endorsed by 865 entities worldwide, including 37 countries, and the U.S. Departments of Education and State. Other states that have adopted the definition include Florida, Iowa, South Carolina and Tennessee. Only a few days before the Arizona vote, The Ohio State University also adopted the IHRA definition.
It followed a December pronouncement by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who issued a strong statement recently against anti-Semitism on college campuses in a letter to all 111 university presidents in the state calling for them to take a serious look at how Jews are treated at their campuses.
“Historically, anti-Semitism has been so deadly due to its evolving nature, making it difficult to identify and address. Arizona’s legislation is a first step in the right direction given that the IHRA definition addresses contemporary anti-Semitism and provides examples of such behavior,” said StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein in a released statement after Arizona passed HB 2675.