Schools should not use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, its lead drafter has told Zeteo UK, saying that doing so could worsen antisemitism and silence discussion of Palestine.
Kenneth Stern, a prominent U.S. lawyer and Zionist who worked for decades in a pro-Israel Jewish advocacy group, said that using the definition in schools “creates [an] opportunity for people to hunt” teachers, making them reluctant to teach about Israel and Palestine.
In an interview with Zeteo UK, Stern added that the definition – which was never intended for use in educational settings – “requires groupthink as opposed to giving the impetus for critical thinking” that tackling antisemitism requires.
Sir David Bell’s review of antisemitism in English schools was published in late October. The first of its 27 recommendations – all of which were accepted by the government immediately upon publication – is that English schools and colleges be encouraged to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and its attendant examples. Education Secretary Lucy Powell has since said she expects schools and colleges to do so.
Bell wrote that using the IHRA definition “would improve understanding” of antisemitism “and confidence” in how to teach children about it. Stern disagrees.