Daimler, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bahn, VW and Borussia Dortmund adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. An important and long overdue step forward.
Now five leading German companies have gone ahead and adopted the globally recognised working definition of anti-Semitism of the ‘International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’ (IHRA) as binding. That is good.
In the joint press release, under the heading ‘Together we stand up against anti-Semitism and racism‘, the first point is: “We are committed against anti-Semitism and against forgetting. That is why we promote the culture of remembrance of the crime against humanity committed by Germans against Jews and other persecuted groups under National Socialism. That is why we have adopted the IHRA’s common working definition of anti-Semitism.”
The aim is to “(…) actively participate in shaping a society that is fair in terms of opportunities and strengthen social cohesion with numerous projects in order to offer no room to anti-Semites and racists.”
As clear as it is what is now to be understood by anti-Semitism, at least one has an internationally recognised and probably the currently most viable working definition for recognising and combating anti-Semitism at one’s disposal and has adopted it, this is not readily given in the case of racism. There is still work to be done.
All too easily, for example, negative attitudes towards certain religions or criticism of them are falsely equated with racism or even anti-Semitism. What one tolerates does not have to be welcomed or accepted.
One may be curious to see how these companies will be able to escape the stranglehold of left identity politics, where often “constructed” aka untenable accusations of racism are misused as crowbars to fight the market economy, democracy and freedom of expression.
On the other hand, in this press release, anti-Semitism from left-wing extremist/radical and Islamist circles is unfortunately not clearly named for what it is: anti-Semitism. As an example, one can cite the anti-Semitic, left-identitarian BDS, which was recently defended by the “German elite” in the cultural sphere and thus this “German elite” made it onto the list of the 10 worst anti-Semitic incidents worldwide in 2020, compiled by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (USA). Some of this “German elite” are sponsored by one or the other company that now wants to fight anti-Semitism. One can be curious.
Or on the Islamist side, for example, there are the Muslim bikers, who are financially supported in particular by the Gulf state of Qatar. It will be interesting to see what this means in terms of business relations with the Islamist terrorist regime of Iran, which has declared the destruction of Israel as a state goal.
So we agree when we read in the joint press release: “We raise our voice against anti-Semitism and racism. Our employees at all levels of the company are encouraged to stand up resolutely for tolerance and openness, thus removing the breeding ground for right-wing extremist and misanthropic ideas“.
One has to wonder, however, why neither left-wing extremism nor Islamism are explicitly mentioned. One can be curious about the future voice surveys. It is to be feared that nothing will be heard, or only very thinly and well hidden.
The starting point for this joint initiative was in 2019, when it was announced: “We five companies came together through a fundraising initiative for the international Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in April 2019. We look with great concern at the increase in anti-Semitism and racism. The murders in Hanau, the attack on the synagogue in Halle or the assassination of the Kassel district president Walter Lübcke are just a few examples of this fatal development.“
In sum, this step by the five companies is to be welcomed if further substantial steps follow. These are inevitable, because the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism very clearly also regards BDS or Iran as anti-Semitic.
The splendid containment of the IHRA definition by this German business alliance will not hold and is not tenable. A 360-degree view of anti-Semitism is needed, as the Jewish-German NGO ‘WerteInitiative’ repeatedly emphasises in accordance withnthe IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. And this is not just an academic question. That is certain.