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Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Urges Mandatory Camp Visits, Binding IHRA Definition to Combat Antisemitism

Prosor argues tougher education paired with a binding definition would answer a post–October 2023 surge in antisemitism.

Overview

  • Ron Prosor, in interviews published Saturday, called for compulsory student visits to concentration camp memorials and more direct encounters with Jews and Israelis as part of a push to curb antisemitism.
  • He urged Germany to write the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism into law to give police and courts a clear basis to act.
  • Prosor said hostility toward Jews has grown since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, noting that some people in Berlin-Neukölln handed out sweets to celebrate killings and that many Jews now fear using streets and trains.
  • He described three sources of antisemitism in Germany—far-right, from parts of the Muslim world, and left-wing—and argued that the left-wing strain is hardest to address because it often sits near the line between free speech and incitement, including in academic and cultural circles such as the Berlinale.
  • t-online reported that critics warn the IHRA definition can be applied too broadly and could sweep in sharp criticism of Israeli government policy, setting up a debate over free speech if lawmakers take up his proposal.