At an international gathering of parliamentarians in Morocco, Israeli MK and former Danny Danon called on lawmakers to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism on Wednesday, even as Iranian delegates walked out of the hall.
אתמול בעת שעליתי לנאום ולייצג את המדינה בכנס ה-IPU במרוקו, חברי המשלחת האיראנית קמו ויצאו מהאולם.
הנה מה שאמרתי להם>> pic.twitter.com/NWwBUqCvy5— Danny Danon ?? דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 15, 2023
“Antisemitism, discrimination against Jews, has persisted for centuries…I would like to take this opportunity to call and encourage all parliaments worldwide to adopt the IHRA definition,” said Danon, a Likud Knesset member who previously served as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
He was addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which has 179 parliaments as members. The organization aims to foster cooperation between the world’s lawmaking bodies.
Iran’s delegation to the conference walked out of the hall, prompting Danon to respond, “Just a few hours ago you spoke loudly and publicly about the importance of religious tolerance. In practice, you and your government only export hatred and terror. The Iranian people deserve better leadership.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is an intergovernmental organization based in Berlin that seeks to strengthen Holocaust education. The organization released a widely-adopted, non-binding definition of antisemitism in 2016.
The definition cites 11 examples, including, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” and “Applying double standards by requiring of it [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”
Danon also called for greater religious tolerance, describing Israel as “a country that embodies diversity and multiculturalism” and one that “people of different faiths have found refuge and a homeland.”
Other members of Israel’s delegation to the IPU included MKs Elazar Stern, Yifat Sasha-Biton and Dan Illouz.
