‘We stand with them’: Alberta adopts IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism
Alberta is the latest Canadian province to stand behind the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of anti-Semitism.
The announcement was made Friday, along with an official endorsement through an order in council.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016 crafted a working definition of anti-Semitism, stating it "is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."
In the years since, the IHRA's working definition has been adopted or endorsed by Canada as a whole and individually by the provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.
Alberta's move on Friday makes it the fourth province to formally chime in.
British Columbia has said it supports the federal government's support of the IHRA's working definition.
"Remembering the Holocaust is a moral obligation – and anti-Semitism, like all forms of racism and prejudice, has no place in Alberta," said Premier Jason Kenney.
"In endorsing this internationally recognized definition, Alberta is doing its part to make sure we continue to learn from this painful history and promise never to repeat it."
Justice Minister Tyler Shandro says hatred hurts everyone.
"Alberta’s government is endorsing this definition of anti-Semitism to let the Jewish community know we stand with them against discrimination and will not tolerate hate in our communities," said Shandro.
"I invite all Albertans to speak out against this hatred and help foster a more accepting province."
Friday's announcement was lauded by local community leaders, with many calling the provincial government's move an important one in confronting and combatting hatred within Alberta.
"I am thrilled to see the province taking action to call out and decry all forms of anti-Semitism," said Rabbi Menachem M. Matusof, Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta senior rabbi and executive director.
"Naming the hate we experience and standing together against it will make Alberta an even better, more welcoming place to live and worship."
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) says the IHRA's working definition "provides policymakers, law enforcement and community leaders with a tool to identify, understand and combat contemporary forms of anti-Semitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace and in the religious sphere."
"The Alberta government’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism is a clear affirmation of our elected officials’ recognition of the upsurge in hate targeting Jews and the need to counter this rise," said Shimon Koffler Fogel, CIJA president and CEO.
"Identifying anti-Semitism is the first step in recognizing its manifestations, which is key to standing against it.
"Today, Alberta joins governments across the country to say that enough is enough. Canadians cannot stand by and allow Jew-hatred to spread unchecked."
Stacey Leavitt-Wright, Jewish Federation of Edmonton CEO, says Alberta's reigning politicians on Friday sent "a strong message that anti-Semitism has no place in society."
The province also noted its various programs and supports meant to reduce hate crimes.
It noted the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program, meant to prevent vandalism and violence at places of worship and other facilities, and that the province is putting $5 million in 2022 toward the cost of security improvements and risk mitigation.
It also noted law enforcement resources including the Hate Crime Co-ordination Unit and hate crime community liaisons.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.