In a joint letter, civil rights groups from around the world call on Twitter’s new owner to adopt the widely accepted IHRA definition of antisemitism and act against Jew-hatred online
[St. Petersburg, FL – 16 November 2022] The Florida Holocaust Museum proudly joins a global coalition of more than 180 nonprofit organizations to call on Elon Musk and Twitter to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Adopted by 38 countries including the USA, the IHRA definition provides a comprehensive and independent standard by which to identify antisemitic content and guide decisions on the removal of posts in violation of community standards. Its adoption would provide content moderation teams with a valuable and consistent tool, increasing Twitter’s credibility by making it safer for the Jewish community.
“Jewish users are subject to unrelenting harassment on Twitter,” the letter reads. “Exchanges of ideas on Twitter must not undermine the safety or well-being of users, especially those from vulnerable communities.”
Demonstrating the seriousness of Twitter-based Jew-hatred, the letter includes a data set of more than 1,000 antisemitic tweets. While 84% of them violated Twitter’s own Hateful Conduct policy, only 35% were removed after being reported.
“Twitter’s crisis reflects the broader national and global upswing in antisemitism,” said Mike Igel, Chairman of The Florida Holocaust Museum. “Social media platforms have proved disturbingly apathetic amid record levels of harassment, slurs, and violence, and we’re proud to join the calls for accountability.”
Jew-hatred on social media can spill out into the real world, as evidenced by violent hate crimes in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. Antisemitic incidents rose 34% in the United States from 2020 to 2021, and Jews are concerned; in the last year, 39% of American Jews changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism.
The letter to Musk and Twitter can be found online at: www.AdoptIHRA.org/twitterletter. For more information on The Florida Holocaust Museum, please visit https://www.thefhm.org/.
About The Florida Holocaust Museum
One of the largest Holocaust Museums in the country, and one of three nationally accredited Holocaust Museums, The Florida Holocaust Museum honors the memory of millions of men, women, and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The FHM is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. For additional information, please visit www.TheFHM.org