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UK Justice Minister: IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism Doesn't Shut Down Free Speech
(Jewish News-UK) Lee Harpin - UK Justice Minister Lord David Wolfson has hit out at claims that the government's adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism infringes on its commitment to free speech. Speaking at the Jerusalem Post's London conference on Thursday, Lord Wolfson said: "It's calumny to say that the fight against anti-Semitism in some way shuts down free speech, it simply doesn't." "Anti-Semitism is hate speech and all democracies have drawn a line between free speech and hate speech. There are things you cannot say because they are defamatory and there are things you cannot say because they are racist. Anti-Semitism is Jew-hatred. I also do not like the word anti-Semitism. I call it anti-Jewish racism. I think it is very important to see the fight against anti-Semitism as part of the fight against racism." "There are some people who appear to have a blind spot when it comes to anti-Jewish racism, people who pronounce themselves anti-racist in relation to every other form of racism."