Activists warn Canada's IHRA antisemitism handbook silences Israel criticism, Palestinian voices

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published a new handbook on antisemitism on Thursday that Palestinian rights activists say could stifle criticism of Israel and lead to the persecution of pro-Palestine activists.

The Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is described by the government as "an educational resource as part of its commitment to combating antisemitism".

However, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), claims that the handbook "will have a chilling effect on pro-Palestine speech and activism".

Much of the controversy stems from the involvement of the IHRA, which stands for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and whose definition of antisemitism is widely seen as conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitic rhetoric.

One of the most contentious elements of the handbook, based on the IHRA definition of antisemitism, is the idea that criticising Israel as a racist "ethnostate" is antisemitic.

The CJPME says that this "will result in public institutions persecuting people who criticize systemic racism within Israel, rather than fighting discrimination".

The handbook also claims that it is antisemitic to oppose the ideology of Zionism, which is defined only as support for Jewish self-determination in their ancestral homeland.

Critics say this ignores the historic and contemporary role of Zionism in the dispossession and oppression of Palestinians, such as the Nakba, Israel's current illegal occupation of the West Bank and the war on Gaza.

Case studies cited in the handbook include social media posts stating that "you can’t be antiracist and Zionist" and "Zionism is a racist & violent settler-colonial project".

On this basis, the CJPME warns that this will be used to silence Palestinian experiences of Israeli oppression and the freedom of speech to criticise Israel.

Other examples of alleged antisemitism cited in the handbook include the rescinding invitation of a speaker from an event because she had served in the Israeli military, as well as social media posts calling Israel "colonialist".

"After over a year of Canadians protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Trudeau has the audacity to publish a guide on how to crack down on pro-Palestine speech," Michael Bueckert, Vice President of CJPME, said in a statement.

"This anti-Palestine, pro-censorship handbook poses a direct threat to civil liberties and will target the critics of Israel’s atrocities, especially Palestinians. We urge Canadian institutions to reject the use of the handbook," he added.

The CJPME claims that over 11,000 Canadians have emailed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for him to scrap the handbook.

Trudeau has come under fire for what many consider to be his biased policies towards Israel, such as his initial refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Canadian government also adopted a partial arms embargo to Israel, which critics have pointed out will still see the sale of offensive weapons that will be used against civilians in Gaza.

Trudeau also handpicked Deborah Lyons, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism and a former Ambassador to Israel, to lead the drafting of the handbook.