Institutions Use Fringe Jewish Voices to Dismantle Jewish Safety, Experts Warn

The IHRA definition of antisemitism has become a target for anti-Israel activists, who are deploying a '3% strategy' to undermine it.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A new report warns of a coordinated effort by anti-Israel activists to undermine the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which has gained widespread institutional adoption in recent years. The strategy involves appointing fringe Jewish voices who question the IHRA definition to positions of authority, providing them a platform to redefine antisemitism in a way that excludes criticism of Israel. This allows anti-Israel activities to be normalized under the guise of 'decolonization' and 'resistance to colonization', even when they involve the legitimization of terrorist infrastructure like Hamas' tunnel network.

Why it matters

The IHRA definition has become a key tool for Jewish communities to combat antisemitism, as it provides a clear framework for identifying anti-Jewish rhetoric and activities. By systematically undermining the IHRA definition through the strategic deployment of dissenting Jewish voices, anti-Israel activists are seeking to dismantle one of the most effective protections Jewish students and communities have against harassment and discrimination.

The details

The report cites several recent examples of this strategy in action, such as the appointment of Phylisa Wisdom - a progressive Jewish leader who has questioned the IHRA definition - to lead New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office on combating antisemitism. Similarly, Canada's Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario chose Independent Jewish Voices, a group that supports boycotting Israel, to train teachers on what constitutes antisemitism. In Australia, La Trobe University adopted the IHRA definition but excluded its 11 examples, which include anti-Zionism.

  • In May 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance adopted its working definition of antisemitism.
  • By February 2026, 47 countries have formally adopted the IHRA definition, including 26 of 27 EU member states, the U.S., Canada, and Albania.
  • On March 4, CUNY Law School's Students for Justice in Palestine is hosting an event framing Hamas' terror tunnels as 'decolonial land use' and 'resistance to colonization'.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who revoked the city's adoption of the IHRA definition on his first day in office and appointed Phylisa Wisdom, a progressive Jewish leader who has questioned the IHRA definition, to lead his office on combating antisemitism.

Phylisa Wisdom

A progressive Jewish leader who has questioned the IHRA definition of antisemitism and was appointed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lead his office on combating antisemitism.

Independent Jewish Voices

A group that actively supports boycotting Israel and was chosen by Canada's Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario to train teachers on what constitutes antisemitism.

La Trobe University

An Australian university that adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism but excluded its 11 examples, which include anti-Zionism.

Hadeel Assali

A doctoral student whose advisor is Mahmood Mamdani, the mayor's father and a Columbia anti-Israel activist, who will present Hamas' terror tunnels as 'decolonial land use' and 'resistance to colonization' at a CUNY Law School event.

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What they’re saying

“This isn't random. It's a coordinated response to the IHRA definition's unexpected success — and a calculated strategy to neutralize the most effective tool Jewish communities have built in decades.”

— Eran Shayshon, Founder of Atchalta, an Israel-based nonprofit (jewishjournal.com)

“This isn't diversity — it's weaponized identity, ensuring the next generation learns IHRA itself is problematic, not the activities it identifies.”

— Eran Shayshon, Founder of Atchalta, an Israel-based nonprofit (jewishjournal.com)

What’s next

The report calls for a 'clear, mass renouncement' of the '3% strategy' by the mainstream Jewish community, not of anyone's right to speak, but of the 'fraud of speaking for Jews while narrowing antisemitism until the worst abuses disappear from view'.

The takeaway

This coordinated effort to undermine the IHRA definition of antisemitism through the strategic deployment of fringe Jewish voices represents a sophisticated evolution of anti-Israel bias and antisemitism, posing a direct threat to the safety and security of Jewish students and communities.