Statement: Anti-Semitism Definition on Positive Trajectory in Cote-des-Neiges-Notre Dame-de-Grace

01/26/21: On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a small borough in Montreal is about to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of Anti-Semitism.

Considering previous setbacks to the proposing of this resolution, on a personal note, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Montreal's Interim Opposition Leader, Lionel Perez who has been campaigning for this important motion for some time. In a statement today, Perez said, "we've seen unfortunately over the last number of years an increase in terms of hate targeting Jews, among others"...Unfortunately the Jewish community is disproportionately represented when it comes to hate crimes in Canada".

Even while we can expect severe backlash from far left groups to the adoption of the IHRA definition, this is the most important tool the world community has at the moment in understanding and combating antisemitism. Sadly, in Quebec, a negative attitude towards Jewish people is among the country's highest. If anything, the definition should be adopted at a provincial level.

Tomorrow marks the UN backed International Holocaust Remembrance Day. As someone who has worked with Holocaust survivors since high school; who has studied, interviewed and written his undergrad and Masters thesis about them, I believe any and all memorials to them are important now more than ever.

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