Wessex Regionalists stand against all and any form of discrimination whether it be on the basis of a person’s race, nationality, colour, gender, ability, beliefs, appearance or any other factor. We regard every person as a unique individual entitled to be treated with respect as for any other person. We do not need a specific code to deal with any one perceived identity group.
Wessex Regionalists regard their overarching Policy Statement on Discrimination to be sufficient to cover antisemitism. Despite this, in 2016, the U.K. government “required” all political parties to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance non-legally binding, working definition of antisemitism.
However, there appears to be a disconnect between the requirements imposed on all U.K. political parties and the policies adopted by Jewish organisations themselves.
There are 2 widely divergent antisemitism policy declarations in circulation:
- the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s non-legally binding, working definition of antisemitism; and,
- the Jerusalem Declaration, developed by a group of scholars to provide clear guidance to identifying and fighting antisemitism while protecting freedom of expression.
Wessex Regionalists, therefore, will not adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, but stand by our general discrimination policy. To have specific policies solely for antisemitism is in danger of giving this hideous crime a higher status than other forms of discrimination. That is clearly unfair. Our over-riding stance on all forms of discrimination would automatically include any forms of antisemitism.
If pressed to elaborate its policy as it applies to antisemitism, the Party would defer to the Jerusalem Declaration for guidance, as it allows open debate on Jewish issues – including on Palestinian issues and on specific policies of the Israeli government equal to criticism of any other government’s policies – which is lacking in the IHRA definition.
Wessex Regionalists 