New York, NY – Dianne Lob, Chair, and William Daroff, CEO, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
“We commend Lufthansa for formally adopting the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, including all of its examples, and for standing firmly against antisemitism, discrimination, and racism of all kinds.
“Lufthansa is the first airline to adopt the definition, joining 37 nations, including the United States and German government, as well as hundreds of companies, academic institutions, local governments, NGOs, and other entities in their support of the most authoritative and internationally accepted definition of antisemitism. Defining antisemitism is an essential step to effectively combatting it.
“The Conference has been directly engaged in critical discussions with Lufthansa Group about antisemitism, education, and the importance of the IHRA definition since May 2022. We participated in a poignant ceremony in Washington, D.C., featuring Lufthansa senior officials, Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog, German Ambassador Emily Haber, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, and Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, Dr. Felix Klein.
“Lufthansa Group’s plans to integrate the guidance of the IHRA definition into their employee training and applying it to standard company operations is commendable.
“We strongly encourage other airlines and corporations to follow in adopting the IHRA definition as a key instrument in the global fight against antisemitism and its many manifestations.”
###
The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 50 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern
;
