UK assumes presidency of the IHRA amid unprecedented rise of antisemitism in UK

The United Kingdom has officially succeeded Croatia’s presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for 2024 as of March 1. Lord Eric Pickles, the UK’s Post Holocaust Issues Envoy, has assumed the position of Chair of the UK IHRA Presidency. 

IHRA is an organization with a membership of 35 governments, and experts from academia and civil society with a goal to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, research, and remembrance worldwide, according to its website.

The theme of the UK presidency is “In Plain Sight”, to draw attention to the fact that the Holocaust did not happen in secret, but rather the world knew what was happening. 

It will highlight the nature of society that permitted the murder of six million Jews, shed light on all those who played a part, and explore the circumstances that led to the Holocaust. Lord Pickles stated at the Presidency handover ceremony, “We will explore why so many people witnessed, facilitated, participated, and frankly benefited from the Holocaust.”

The Croatian Presidency operated under the title, “The Future of Remembrance.” It saw several developments occur under its leadership, including the adoption of key IHRA resources, the Recommendations on Archival Access, the IHRA Charter for Safeguarding Sites, and IHRA Reflections on Terminology for Holocaust Comparison. 

Additionally, it hosted the Second International Conference on the Genocide of the Roma and Combating Antigypsyism, and drafted a report on efforts to counter Holocaust distortion.

Statements at the Presidency handover ceremony

At the Presidency handover ceremony, IHRA Co-Chair Ambassador Terezija Gras expressed, “This year has also had an immense impact on Croatia itself. We will never be the same Member Country as we were before the IHRA Presidency. This is one of the major legacies of the IHRA Presidency in Croatia and we know it will have a lasting impact on Holocaust education, remembrance, and research.” 

Co-Chair Sara Lustig said, “regardless of the challenges the IHRA faces in the years ahead, we know that all of you will take good care of each other and unite when fighting for a stronger IHRA and for the Future of Remembrance. We are honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to guide this organization over the past year.”

The UK, one of its founding signatories in 2000, will oversee the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration. The declaration pledged that the terrible events of the Holocaust would remain forever seared in collective memory.  

The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz will occur under the UK’s presidency. For this occasion, it plans to organize a project to show the history of the Holocaust through 80 objects. 

Additionally, a new project will be launched to engage young people in Holocaust remembrance, called “My Hometown” to examine the local elements of Holocaust history in the UK and throughout the IHRA’s Member Countries.

Simon Walters, British Ambassador to Israel, said in a statement, “The Holocaust was humanity's darkest hour in history. We must ensure it does not repeat itself. The UK is proud to assume the IHRA presidency and is committed to safeguarding the security of the Jewish community and stopping antisemitism wherever it is occurs.”

Rise in antisemitism in the UK

The UK’s presidency comes amid an unprecedented wave of antisemitism in the country. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, the UK has seen a 589% increase in the number of incidents compared with the same period in 2022, according to the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and provides security for UK Jewish communities.

Prime Minister Sunak condemned the record levels of antisemitism as "utterly sickening." 

The Prime Minister has announced an extra £54 million to fund security for Jewish communities. The new funding for the CST, to provide extra security until 2028, will be added to an overall security package of £72 million.