In the wake of Meyers Leonard’s recent antisemitic slur during an online gaming session, StandWithUs and its Center for Combating Antisemitism (CCA) sent the attached letter calling upon the NBA and the NBPA to use this opportunity to take the positive step of formally adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. The consensus definition of antisemitism, embraced by numerous governments, universities, and organizations, includes a growing list of professional athletic franchises. The IHRA Definition is a crucial educational tool that helps to clarify some of the confusion that leads to a lack of understanding about this ever-mutating societal disease.
“StandWithUs commends Meyers Leonard for his apology following his recent antisemitic slur, and the Miami Heat for taking immediate action,” stated Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO StandWithUs.
“StandWithUs is hopeful that the NBA will choose to become the first professional athletic league in the U.S. to adopt the IHRA Definition in its latest anti-hate efforts,” stated Carly Gammill, director of the StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism. “We are grateful to the professional athletes who have spoken publicly against anti-Jewish hatred and look forward to the NBA and its players embracing the definition. We look forward to increasing numbers of professional athletes using their powerful voices to champion this tool and make clear that antisemitism deserves the same level of condemnation as other forms of racism and bigotry.”
Read the letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts .
About StandWithUs
StandWithUs (SWU) is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organization that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism.
Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their schools and communities about Israel.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters and programs on 5 continents, including the U.S., Israel, UK, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.
For the last 8 years, SWU has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator (4 stars) and Guidestar (Platinum).
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