Albania joins global efforts to combat anti-Semitism

TIRANA, Albania – The Albanian Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution joining global efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

The parliament unanimously voted to approve the definition of anti-Semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), becoming the second majority-Muslim country to adopt it after Kosovo.

The definition describes hate speech and other acts that discriminate against the Jewish people or the state, their properties or religious objects.

The New York-based Combat Anti-Semitism Movement called Albania’s act a “landmark decision” and urged other countries to join it.

“At a time when anti-Semitism is increasing across the world, the IHRA definition has never been more important. Not only does it spell out exactly what Jew-hatred looks like, but adopting IHRA’s definition makes clear that anti-Semitism has no place in free, democratic and tolerant societies such as Albania,” said CAM’s head, Sacha Roytman-Dratwa.