Research event

Defending Jews from the definition of antisemitism

A presentation by Itamar Mann, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Haifa and Lihi Yona, Assistant Professor at the University of Haifa. This event is part of the Fundamental Rights Research Colloquium under the cluster "Fundamental Rights and (Anti-)Discrimination" hosted by the Centre for Fundamental Rights.

This article examines the legal debate surrounding antisemitism in the context of Israel criticism, challenging definitions that equate such criticism with antisemitic speech. It argues that current legal definitions impose a narrow, Zionist-centric view of Jewish identity, harming both Palestinian advocacy and Jewish pluralism. Jewish identity is inherently diverse and contested, with this ongoing debate viewed as a vital feature of Jewish tradition.

The article traces the evolution of antisemitism's legal definition, focusing on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition. To counter the harms of this definition, the article proposes a novel legal framework, arguing that criticizing Israel can be an exercise of religious freedom for many American Jews and that antidiscrimination laws should protect Jews targeted for their political positions.

Reinterpreting U.S. constitutional protections to safeguard the plurality of Jewish identities, offers a new understanding of religious liberty that allows Jewish communities -- and potentially other groups -- to determine how religion and politics intertwine in their identities.

Itamar Mann is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Haifa. Before coming to Berlin as a Humboldt University research fellow, he served as Vice Dean for research. He has written extensively in the areas of human rights law, refugee and migration law, international criminal law, Israel-Palestine, as well as legal and political theory. He is the President of the Geneva-based organization, Border Forensics.

Lihi Yona is an Assistant Professor at the University of Haifa, holding joint appointments in the Faculty of Law and the Department of Criminology. Her research primarily examines anti-discrimination laws, conceptions of legal equality, critical race studies, and Mizrahi legal studies. Professor Yona's academic interests also extend to labor law and LGBTQI legal issues. A recipient of the prestigious Alon Fellowship, she previously held a postdoctoral position at Harvard University before joining the faculty at Haifa. Through her work, Yona contributes to important conversations on equality, identity, and justice within the legal sphere. She holds an LLB from the University of Haifa, as well as LLM and SJD degrees from Columbia University.

Prior registration is required. Registered attendees will receive the dial-in details as well as a draft paper, on which the presentation is based, via e-mail prior to the event.