Toronto (April 17, 2020) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) commends York Regional Council for unanimously passing a motion to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The motion, put forward by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, received unanimous consent from all York Regional Council members yesterday. The decision will be ratified on April 30.

"We thank Mayor Bevilacqua for his efforts in fighting antisemitism not only in Vaughan, where city council passed his motion to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and recognize January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but in York Region as well," said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. "The IHRA antisemitism definition is an important tool that helps communities and institutions identify and counter antisemitism, and we urge all municipalities in the country to take a stand against antisemitism by adopting this definition."