U.S. antisemitism envoy: IHRA protects European laggards and shuts out Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the State Department's special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, is pressing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance to drop its rule that only countries "commonly seen as democracies" can become full members. In an Oct. 26 letter to IHRA Secretary-General Michaela Küchler, viewed by JNS, he called the requirement "archaic" and "deeply concerning."

"It is shameful that this body protects the membership of some European governments failing to honor their commitments yet shuts out states taking historic steps to strengthen Holocaust remembrance and promote peaceful coexistence in their regions," Kaploun wrote. He wanted Bahrain, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE invited to the pre-conference Argentina hosted in Buenos Aires on Sunday, and asked that membership be put on the agenda for this week's heads-of-delegation meeting. IHRA, whose working definition of antisemitism is used by the U.S. and many other countries, has 35 member states.

Kaploun has been working with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi on antisemitism. IMPACT-se reported in August that antisemitic content had been removed from Saudi textbooks, and the UAE sent a representative to the special envoys' forum in Dublin for the first time this month. An IHRA spokesman told JNS the alliance welcomes interest in its work. EJP also reported the letter.