Nexus Task Force

Last updated

The Nexus Task Force, created in November 2019, analyzes issues at the intersection of Israel and antisemitism. [1] On its website, titled Israel and Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues, the task force has published the Nexus Document, [2] described as "a resource designed for policymakers and community leaders, aiming to enhance their understanding of the issues that intersect at the nexus of antisemitism, Israel, and Zionism", [3] the Nexus White Paper, titled "Understanding Antisemitism at its Nexus with Israel and Zionism", [4] and the Nexus "Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in Debates about Israel". [5]

Contents

In September 2020, "more than 100 prominent Jewish leaders" sent a letter to Joe Biden, drawing his attention to the resources available on the "Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues" website. [6] [7] [8] The "U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism", released on May 25, 2023, states that "the Administration welcomes and appreciates the Nexus Document." [9]

The Nexus Task Force is affiliated with The Bard Center for the Study of Hate (BCSH), which works to increase the serious study of human hatred, and ways to combat it. [1] [10] The director of the Nexus Task Force is Jonathan Jacoby. The director of the BCSH is Kenneth S. Stern, who had been the lead drafter of the IHRA definition and its examples, and is an ex officio member of the Nexus Task Force.

On January 19, 2024, Task Force member Derek Penslar was appointed by Harvard's Interim President, Alan Garber, to co-chair Harvard's Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism. [11]

In January 2024, the Nexus Leadership Project was created to promote the principles in the Nexus Document among Jewish community leaders and US policymakers. [12]

Nexus Task Force members

The members of the Nexus Task Force are listed below. [1]

The Nexus Task Force is supported by a larger advisory committee. [1]

What is, and what is not, antisemitic

The big mistake people are making about IHRA is that it’s the final word, and there are many words and perspectives ... You can think of IHRA as the Mishnah and Nexus as the Gemara.

Jonathan Jacoby, The Forward [7]

The Nexus Document, [2] which is based on the Nexus White Paper, states that a determination of whether speech or conduct about Zionism and Israel is antisemitic should be based on the standards for speech or conduct that apply to antisemitic behavior in general.  It gives seven examples of what should be deemed antisemitic, followed by four examples of what should not be.

Actions that are considered to be antisemitic

According to the Nexus Document, it is antisemitic:

Actions that are not considered to be antisemitic

However, according to the Nexus Document:

Reception

Haaretz wrote "The new documents [IHRA, Nexus Task Force and Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism], then, may have achieved their goal of opening up the conversation, but consensus among Jews on what antisemitism is looks like – and how it relates to how Israel is discussed – seems further away than ever." [13]

An article by Ira Forman in the Moment is mildly critical of the Nexus Task Force and the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, and concludes "These two new definitions focus on issues worthy of debate and analysis. But their guidelines represent the views of a smaller constituency. [...] From a practical perspective, the widespread adoption by dozens of countries, scores of law enforcement organizations and hundreds of governmental, educational and non-profit institutions means we should not relitigate the language of IHRA." [14]

Another article by Ira Forman, this time in The Detroit Jewish News, is again mildly critical of both the Nexus Task Force and the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, and concludes "There is no doubt that false and reckless charges of antisemitism are a hindrance to the battle against antisemitism. But rather than campaign for an alternative tool, those involved in the fight should support the continued use of the IHRA Definition [...]". [15]

The Forward wrote that "The new definition could serve as an alternative to one from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance [...]". [7]

A more critical article in The Forward states that the Nexus Task Force's "[...] endeavor, while undoubtedly well-meaning, is unnecessary and possibly dangerous." [16]

An article in The Jerusalem Post stated that "For outsiders to the conflict, it’s hard to understand what the fight is about. The IHRA, JDA, and Nexus definitions have many similarities and overlaps. It is in the distinctions, views on double standards, self-determination and legitimate criticism, that counter-antisemitism activists and political activists clash." [17]

The Jerusalem Post also carried an article by Ron Kampeas, with the lead paragraph "Paying disproportionate attention to Israel and treating Israel differently than other countries is not prima facie proof of anti-Semitism." [18]

The same article by Ron Kampeas appeared in The Times of Israel, with the lead paragraph "Nexus Task Force [...] says IHRA definition is too broad, not all double standards toward Jewish state manifest prejudice". [19]

U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism

The "U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism", released on May 25, 2023, includes the following paragraph:

There are several definitions of antisemitism, which serve as valuable tools to raise awareness and increase understanding of antisemitism. The most prominent is the non-legally binding “working definition” of antisemitism adopted in 2016 by the 31-member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which the United States has embraced. In addition, the Administration welcomes and appreciates the Nexus Document and notes other such efforts. [9]

The inclusion of definitions other than the IHRA definition in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism was a topic of heated debate leading up to the Strategy's unveiling. [20]

The significance of including the Nexus Document in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism was noted by The New York Times, [21] NPR, [22] Vox, [23] the Jewish Insider, [24] and numerous other media outlets.

61 Jewish American leaders issued a statement praising the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, saying: “We are encouraged that the strategy acknowledges the necessity of employing a diverse toolkit to combat antisemitism, including the Nexus Document.” [25]

Critical reactions from some Jewish organisations

Some Jewish organisations have criticized the inclusion of the Nexus Document and/or downplayed its significance:

Deborah Lipstadt's response to the critical reactions

Responding to criticism from some Jewish organizations of the inclusion of the Nexus Document, Deborah Lipstadt, the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, said that “there are portions of the Nexus Document which almost are more explicit than the IHRA." [30]

She quoted from the Nexus Document: "It is antisemitic to promote myths, stereotypes or attitudes about Zionism and/or Israel that derive from and/or reinforce antisemitic accusations and tropes." [30]

According to the Nexus Document, these include: "Characterizing Israel as being part of a sinister world conspiracy of Jewish control of the media, economy, government or other financial, cultural or societal institutions; Indiscriminately blaming suffering and injustices around the world on a hidden Jewish conspiracy or of being the maligning hand of Israel or Zionism; Holding individuals or institutions, because they are Jewish, a priori culpable of real or imagined wrongdoing committed by Israel," and so on. [2]

"That's pretty explicit,” Lipstadt said. “I think some of the things that have been said about Nexus are not accurate. There were parts in there that some people can see as troublesome. I'm not denying that, but we didn't adopt or embrace Nexus. We recognize that because of where it's explicit there, that is helpful to us." [30]

October 2023 onward

Hamas attack of October 2023

Following the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2023, when some left and pro-Palestinian advocates demonstrated support for Hamas despite the murder of innocents, Nexus Task Force member David Schraub wrote a column with Alan Solow, a former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, asserting that the Biden administration's National Antisemitism Strategy is a more effective tool for forming alliances across the wide range of American constituencies and communities because it incorporates the Nexus Document and does not rely solely on the IHRA definition. [31]

Subsequent responses to antisemitism and allegations of antisemitism

Former AIPAC executive director Tom Dine, wrote "The Nexus Document provides a more precise characterization of antisemitism than IHRA’s and allows for a broader range of criticism of Israel. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for building a more expansive coalition to combat antisemitism, a coalition that is particularly important at a time like this." [32]

In an article discussing whether anti-Zionism is always antisemitic, Jonathan Weisman wrote "Jonathan Jacoby, the director of the Nexus Task Force, [...] warned that shouting down any political action directed against Israel as antisemitic made it harder for Jews to call out actual antisemitism, while stifling honest conversation about Israel’s government and U.S. policy toward it." [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

New antisemitism is the concept that a new form of antisemitism which developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, tends to manifest itself as anti-Zionism. The concept is included in some definitions of antisemitism, such as the working definition of antisemitism and the 3D test of antisemitism. The concept dates to the early 1970s, although the identification of anti-Zionism with antisemitism has "long been de rigueur in Jewish communal and broader pro-Israel circles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yehuda Bauer</span> Israeli historian of the Holocaust (born 1926)

Yehuda Bauer is a Czech-born Israeli historian and scholar of the Holocaust. He is a professor of Holocaust Studies at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-hating Jew</span> Pejorative label implying antisemitism

The terms "self-hating Jew", "self-loathing Jew" and auto-antisemite are pejorative terms used to describe a Jew whose viewpoints on any specific matter are perceived as antisemitic.

Antisemitism in universities has taken place in many countries at various times. Antisemitism has been manifested in various policies and practices, such as restricting the admission of Jewish students by a Jewish quota, or ostracism, intimidation, or violence against Jewish students, as well as in the hiring, retention and treatment of Jewish staff. In some instances, universities have been accused of condoning the development of antisemitic cultures on campus.

Kenneth S. Stern is an American attorney and an author. He is the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, a program of the Human Rights Project at Bard College. From 2014 to 2018 he was the executive director of the Justus & Karin Rosenberg Foundation. From 1989 to 2014 he was the director of antisemitism, hate studies and extremism for the American Jewish Committee. In 2000, Stern was a special advisor to the defense in the David Irving v. Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt trial. His 2020 book, The Conflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debate, examines attempts of partisans of each side to censor the other, and the resulting damage to the academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Zionism</span> Opposition to Jewish nationalism

Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the modern State of Israel, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the region of Palestine—a region partly coinciding with the biblical Land of Israel—was flawed or unjust in some way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Penslar</span> Canadian historian

Derek Jonathan Penslar, is an American-Canadian comparative historian with interests in the relationship between modern Israel and diaspora Jewish societies, global nationalist movements, European colonialism, and post-colonial states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance</span> Intergovernmental organization

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), until January 2013 known as the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research or ITF, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1998 which unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, research and remembrance worldwide and to uphold the commitments of the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust. The IHRA has 34 member countries, one liaison country and seven observer countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Defamation League</span> International Jewish organization

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is a New York–based international Jewish non-governmental organization and advocacy group that specializes in civil rights law and combatting antisemitism and extremism.

The European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (EISCA) was established in 2007 as a think-tank to examine the growth and development of antisemitism in the world today and to explore new strategies for countering it in all its forms. Its website was last updated in mid 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criticism of Israel</span> Disapproval towards the Israeli government

Criticism of Israel is a subject of journalistic and scholarly commentary and research within the scope of international relations theory, expressed in terms of political science. Israel has faced international criticism since its declaration of independence in 1948 relating to a variety of issues, many of which are centered around human rights violations in its occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The "three Ds" or the "3D test" of antisemitism is a set of criteria formulated by Israeli human rights advocate and politician Natan Sharansky in order to distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from antisemitism. The three Ds stand for delegitimization, demonization, and double standards, each of which, according to the test, indicates antisemitism.

British Jews have experienced antisemitism - discrimination and persecution as Jews - since a Jewish community was first established in England in 1070. They experienced a series of massacres in the Medieval period, which culminated in their expulsion from England in 1290.

The working definition of antisemitism, also called the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism or IHRA definition, is a non-legally binding statement on what antisemitism is, that reads: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." Accompanying the working definition, but of disputed status, are 11 illustrative examples whose purpose is described as guiding the IHRA in its work, seven of which relate to criticism of the Israeli government. As such, pro-Israeli organizations have been advocates for the worldwide legal adoption of the definition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany</span>

Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany occur frequently in some veins of anti-Zionism in relation to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The legitimacy of these comparisons and their potential antisemitic nature is a matter of debate. Historically, figures like Arnold J. Toynbee have drawn parallels between Zionism and Nazism, a stance he maintained despite criticism. Scholar David Feldman suggests these comparisons are often rhetorical tools without specific antisemitic intent. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sees them as diminishing the Holocaust's significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Majority for Israel</span> Lobbying group advocating pro-Israel policies in the United States

Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) is an American advocacy group that supports pro-Israel policies within the United States Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism</span> Guide on antisemitism

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) is a document meant to outline the bounds of antisemitic speech and conduct, particularly with regard to Zionism, Israel and Palestine. Its creation was motivated by a desire to confront antisemitism and by objections to the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, which critics have said stifles legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and curbs free speech. The drafting of the declaration was initiated in June 2020 under the auspices of the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem by eight coordinators, most of whom were university professors. Upon its completion the declaration was signed by about 200 scholars in various fields and released in March 2021.

Zionist antisemitism or antisemitic Zionism refers to a phenomenon in which antisemites express support for Zionism and the State of Israel. In some cases, this support may be promoted for explicitly antisemitic reasons. Historically, this type of antisemitism has been most notable among Christian Zionists, who may perpetrate religious antisemitism while being outspoken in their support for Jewish sovereignty in Israel due to their interpretation of Christian eschatology. Similarly, people who identify with the political far-right, particularly in Europe and the United States, may support the Zionist movement because they seek to expel Jews from their country and see Zionism as the least complicated method of achieving this goal and satisfying their racial antisemitism.

On May 25, 2023, the administration of US President Joe Biden unveiled The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. President Biden called his administration's plan the “most ambitious and comprehensive U.S. government-led effort to fight antisemitism in American history.”

The weaponization of antisemitism, also described as the instrumentalization of antisemitism and playing the antisemitism card, is the levelling of charges of antisemitism for political purposes, especially to counter criticism of Israel. It has been criticized as a form of playing the race card, smear tactics and an "appeal to motive". When used against Jews, it may take the form of the pejorative claim of "self-hating Jew".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nexus Task Force. "Nexus Task Force". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Nexus Task Force (February 24, 2021). "The Nexus Document". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  3. "Israel & Antisemitism". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  4. Nexus Task force (November 22, 2020). "Understanding Antisemitism at its Nexus with Israel and Zionism". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  5. Nexus Task Force. "Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in Debates about Israel". Israel & Antisemitism. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  6. "Israel & Antisemitism - Policy at the nexus of two critical issues". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the nexus of two critical issues. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "With backing of liberal Jewish leaders, new definition distances Israel criticism from claims of antisemitism". The Forward. March 16, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  8. Nexus Task Force (September 18, 2020). "A Letter to Vice President Biden from American Jewish Leaders". Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "THE U.S. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO COUNTER ANTISEMITISM" (PDF). The White House. May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  10. Bard College Public Relations (March 10, 2022). "Bard Center for Study of Hate Announces Affiliation with Nexus Task Force". www.bard.edu. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  11. President, Harvard University (January 19, 2024). "Announcement of Presidential Task Forces". Harvard University President. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  12. Rosenfeld, Arno (January 23, 2024). "How a new group is convincing Democrats to separate Israel criticism from antisemitism". The Forward . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  13. Shamir, Jonathan (April 18, 2021). "Two Jews, Three Definitions: New Documents Challenge Mainstream View of Antisemitism" . Haaretz. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  14. Forman, Ira N. (April 2, 2021). "We Should Not Replace the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism" . Moment Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  15. Forman, Ira N. (April 13, 2021). "Essay: The Working Definition of Antisemitism Needs No Rewrite". The Detroit Jewish News. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  16. Goldfeder, Mark (April 6, 2021). "The IHRA definition isn't perfect. But its critics aren't making things better". The Forward. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  17. Starr, Michael (April 22, 2021). "War of the words: The conflict between definitions of antisemitism". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  18. Kampeas, Ron (March 17, 2021). "A liberal definition of antisemitism that allows for Israel criticism". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  19. Kampeas, Ron (March 17, 2021). "US Jewish scholars push anti-Semitism definition allowing more Israel criticism". The Times of Israel. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  20. Rosenfeld, Arno (May 24, 2023). "Israel 'mudslinging' threatens to overshadow White House antisemitism strategy". The Forward . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  21. Williamson, Elizabeth (May 25, 2023). "Biden Unveils a National Plan to Fight an Ancient Hatred". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  22. Treisman, Rachel (May 23, 2023). "The first national strategy for fighting antisemitism is finally here. What's in it?". NPR . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  23. Guyer, Jonathan (May 25, 2023). "The high-stakes debate over how the US defines "antisemitism"". Vox . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  24. Deutch, Gabby; Rod, Marc (May 25, 2023). "In sweeping antisemitism strategy, White House calls mainstream IHRA definition 'most prominent' but 'welcomes' progressive alternative". Jewish Insider. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  25. "National Jewish Leadership Statement on Antisemitism". Israel & Antisemitism. May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  26. "ZOA Criticizes Biden Antisemitism Strategy's Embrace of Dangerous "Nexus" Antisemitism Definition & Not Calling Out Islamists & Other Antisemites". Zionist Organization of America . May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  27. "B'nai B'rith Lauds White House Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism". B’nai B’rith International. May 25, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  28. "Jewish organizations critique Biden's antisemitism strategy". The Jerusalem Post . May 29, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "'Now the Hard Work Begins': ADL Chief on Biden's Plan to Combat Antisemitism". Haaretz . May 28, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 Klein, Zvika (June 11, 2023). "Lipstadt: Aware of CAIR's antisemitic past, giving them a chance to overcome". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  31. Schraub, David; Solow, Alan (October 15, 2023). "Biden's antisemitism strategy was made for a moment like this". Forward . Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  32. Dine, Tom (November 19, 2023). "No partisanship in fighting against antisemitism". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  33. Weisman, Jonathan (December 10, 2023). "Is Anti-Zionism Always Antisemitic? A Fraught Question for the Moment". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 17, 2023.