The European Evangelical Alliance is committed against anti-Semitism

The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) officially adopted, on April 26, the definition on anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). For Thomas Schirrmacher, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, this is a “strong signal for cooperation and dialogue between Christians and Jews throughout the world”.

During a historic ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Israel, the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) has taken a stand against anti-Semitism by officially adopting the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on this subject.

“Holocaust remembrance is not about remembering, recalling or reporting the events surrounding the extermination of European Jewry. No, it is a question of bearing witness to the sacred character of the human being and to our infinite responsibility towards and for our neighbour. This witness is rooted in the millennial teaching and witness that comes into the world through the Jewish people. - Connie Duarte, new AEE General Secretary

After the reading of this statement in the Yad Vashem campus synagogue by AEE President Frank Hinkelmann and the organization's new General Secretary Connie Duarte, the General Secretary of the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEA) , Thomas Schirrmacher, took the floor in turn. In particular, he declared that this move is “a strong signal for cooperation and dialogue between Christians and Jews around the world”.

In a statement, the AEE recalls that the IHRA definition of antisemitism is "a practical guide to raising awareness and triggering action aimed at eliminating prejudice, stigmatization and hatred towards people because of their religion, culture , their origins, their identity or their beliefs in all spheres of life”.

Camille Westphal Perrier

Image credit: Shutterstock / Christopher Penler / New York January 2020