Toronto (December 11, 2019) - A bill backed by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) calling on the government of Ontario to adopt the international definition of antisemitism was introduced to the legislature at Queen’s Park today.

The private member’s bill was submitted by MPP Will Bouma and asks the Ontario legislature to officially adopt the definition of antisemitism offered by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Simon Wiesenthal Center was part of the international consortium that drafted the definition and FSWC has backed efforts to see the definition adopted as law in Ontario.

The IHRA definition of antisemitism offers clear parameters for identifying antisemitism, including illustrative examples that address a wide range of language and activity, such as denial of the Holocaust; the demonization/dehumanization of Jews; classic tropes about Jewish control of government, the media, the banks, and other forms of conspiracy; and rhetoric that is often disguised as criticism of Israel, such as denial of the rights of the Jewish people to self determination or expecting Israel to meet standards that are expected of no other country.

“Antisemitic incidences and hate crimes have been growing in Canada at an alarming rate. It is critical that governments at all levels take an active approach to combating hatred towards the Jewish community. This requires a clear consensus about what does, and what does not, constitute antisemitism,”said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo in his official letter backing the bill. “We applaud this initiative as an effort to stand up to the rising tide of antisemitism and we hope it will receive the broad and bi-partisan support that it deserves.”

Legislative debate on the bill will begin in February 2020.