Georgia passes bill to adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism

Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia, signed into law a bill that makes the official definition of antisemitism in the State of Georgia that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action) announced earlier this week. 

The IHRA definition of antisemitism includes Holocaust denial, accusing Jews of being more loyal to Israel, denying the right of the State of Israel to exist, and comparing the State of Israel to the Nazis. 

According to the IAC for Action, the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism has been endorsed by 1,200 groups and entities on both a national and local scale. Prominent examples include the US State, Education, and Justice Departments of State.

The bill comes amid rise in antisemitism

Representative John Carson, who sponsored the bill for the last three years, said: “This bill is an important victory for Georgia and the values of our state.”

IAC for Action’s Executive Director Joe Sabag stated the bill “is a major step forward for equal protection for Jewish Georgians. 

“Without the IHRA definition, our community was suffering a civil rights deficit, where perpetrators of antisemitic crime and discrimination would target Jews and Jewish institutions and then hide behind the false pretense that they were motivated by anti-Israel politics and not anti-Jewish bigotry.”

IAC For Action Board Chairman Shawn Evenhaim praised the bill, noting, "By acting today, Georgia is protecting their citizens against anti-Jewish bias and hatred, which has been at crisis levels since October 7."

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a rise in antisemitic incidents worldwide, according to a recent report published by  Israel’s Diaspora Ministry, the World Zionist Organization, and the Jewish Agency.

Between the months of October and December, the US has seen a rise of 337% in antisemitic incidents, figures in the report show.