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‘Surprising’ addition expected as US, Argentina work to expand adoption of IHRA in Latin America

The partnership between Washington and Buenos Aires is expected to bear fruit soon, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter tells JNS.

Kenia Videla (center) gathers with others in front of the Venezuelan consulate in Miami, Fla., to show solidarity with the Venezuelan Jewish community after a recent attack on a Caracas synagogue, Feb. 13, 2009. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
Kenia Videla (center) gathers with others in front of the Venezuelan consulate in Miami, Fla., to show solidarity with the Venezuelan Jewish community after a recent attack on a Caracas synagogue, Feb. 13, 2009. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

A “surprising” country will announce in the coming weeks its adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter tells JNS.

That same source said that the United States is working closely with the government of Argentina to bring more Latin American countries into the IHRA fold, and that progress is expected to be made public soon.

Argentina holds the sole IHRA full member status in Latin America. Six Latin American countries have adopted the IHRA definition, with Argentina joined by Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and Uruguay.

The Latin American and Caribbean Parliament, a consultative assembly made up of national parliamentarians that represents 23 countries, has also adopted the definition.

Globally, 46 national governments have adopted the definition, along with dozens of U.S. states and more than 1,000 global entities. Just last year, 67 entities worldwide adopted the IHRA definition, a 97.1% increase from the 34 adoptions recorded the previous year, according to the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

The IHRA definition provides guidance for recognizing when criticism crosses the line into antisemitism by applying double standards, denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination or using classic antisemitic tropes.

Mike Wagenheim is a Washington-based correspondent for JNS, primarily covering the U.S. State Department and Congress. He is the senior U.S. correspondent at the Israel-based i24NEWS TV network.
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