Nexus Project

The Nexus Leadership Project, created in January 2024, engages with American civic and political leaders and decision-makers to enhance understanding of antisemitism, particularly where it intersects with Israel-related issues. Its primary activities include educational outreach to policymakers and advocacy for comprehensive strategies to combat antisemitism. == Nexus Task Force ==

The Nexus Task Force, created in November 2019, analyzes issues at the intersection of Israel and antisemitism. The task force has published the Nexus Document, described as "a resource designed for policymakers and community leaders, aiming to enhance their understanding of the issues that intersect at the nexus of antisemitism, Israel, and Zionism". It has also published the Nexus White Paper, "Understanding Antisemitism at its Nexus with Israel and Zionism"; the Nexus "Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in Debates about Israel"; and "A Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in a Time of Perplexity". In September 2020, over 100 Jewish leaders sent a letter to Joe Biden to draw his attention to the resources available on the "Israel & Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues" website. The "U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism", released on May 25, 2023, states that "the Administration welcomes and appreciates the Nexus Document". The Nexus Task Force is affiliated with The Bard Center for the Study of Hate (BCSH), which works to increase the serious study of human hatred, and ways to combat it. The director of the Nexus Task Force is Jonathan Jacoby. The director of the BCSH is Kenneth S. Stern, who had been the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)'s working definition of antisemitism and its examples, and is an ex officio member of the Nexus Task Force. On January 19, 2024, Task Force member Derek Penslar was appointed by Harvard's Interim President Alan Garber to co-chair Harvard's Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism. Nexus Task Force members The members of the Nexus Task Force are listed below. The Nexus Task Force is supported by a larger advisory committee. == Nexus Document ==

The Nexus Document, which is based on the Nexus White Paper, states that a determination of whether speech or conduct about Zionism and Israel is antisemitic should be based on the standards for speech or conduct that apply to antisemitic behavior in general. It gives seven examples of what should be deemed antisemitic, followed by four examples of what should not be. Ira Forman was mildly critical of the Nexus Task Force and the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, saying: "These two new definitions focus on issues worthy of debate and analysis. But their guidelines represent the views of a smaller constituency. [...] From a practical perspective, the widespread adoption by dozens of countries, scores of law enforcement organizations and hundreds of governmental, educational and non-profit institutions means we should not relitigate the language of IHRA." He has also said: "There is no doubt that false and reckless charges of antisemitism are a hindrance to the battle against antisemitism. But rather than campaign for an alternative tool, those involved in the fight should support the continued use of the IHRA Definition [...]". The Forward wrote that "The new definition could serve as an alternative to one from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance [...]". An article in The Jerusalem Post stated: "For outsiders to the conflict, it's hard to understand what the fight is about. The IHRA, JDA, and Nexus definitions have many similarities and overlaps. It is in the distinctions, views on double standards, self-determination and legitimate criticism, that counter-antisemitism activists and political activists clash." In an article discussing whether anti-Zionism is always antisemitic, Jonathan Weisman wrote: "Jonathan Jacoby, the director of the Nexus Task Force, [...] warned that shouting down any political action directed against Israel as antisemitic made it harder for Jews to call out actual antisemitism, while stifling honest conversation about Israel’s government and U.S. policy toward it." == U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism ==

The "U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism" (NSCA), released on May 25, 2023, includes the following paragraph: The inclusion of definitions other than the IHRA definition in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism was a topic of heated debate leading up to the Strategy's unveiling. Numerous publications noted that the Nexus Document was included in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, including The New York Times, NPR, Vox, and the Jewish Insider. Responses to the strategy A statement issued by 61 Jewish American leaders praising the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, saying: "We are encouraged that the strategy acknowledges the necessity of employing a diverse toolkit to combat antisemitism, including the Nexus Document." Some Jewish organisations criticized the inclusion of the Nexus Document. The Zionist Organization of America called the National Strategy a "lopsided document" because it includes the Nexus Document and insufficiently embraces IHRA's working definition of antisemitism. B'nai B'rith said it was "disappointed" in the inclusion of the Nexus definition, saying it was inferior to the IHRA working definition and "allows the more invidious of Israel's nemeses to hide their animus behind 'strident' criticism of Israel". Ronald Lauder, head of the World Jewish Congress, said that including "a secondary definition" besides the IHRA working definition was "an unnecessary distraction from the real work that needs to be done". The Anti-Defamation League's CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, said: "They did welcome the Nexus Document, but they didn’t cite their definition." Instead, he said, "The White House plan elevates and embraces IHRA as the preeminent definition that it is now using to understand antisemitism in all its forms. Whereas previously only the State Department and Department of Education were using it, now it’s the position of the entire administration." Responding to criticism of the inclusion of the Nexus Document, Deborah Lipstadt, the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, said that "there are portions of the Nexus Document which almost are more explicit than the IHRA", such as the examples of what is antisemitic in relation to Israel and Zionism. Lipstadt said: "I think some of the things that have been said about Nexus are not accurate. There were parts in there that some people can see as troublesome. I'm not denying that, but we didn't adopt or embrace Nexus. We recognize that because of where it's explicit there, that is helpful to us." Former AIPAC executive director Tom Dine, wrote: "The Nexus Document provides a more precise characterization of antisemitism than IHRA's and allows for a broader range of criticism of Israel. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for building a more expansive coalition to combat antisemitism, a coalition that is particularly important at a time like this." == Second Donald Trump administration ==

Following the election of Donald Trump as president in November 2024, the Nexus Project raised concerns that his administration could weaponize accusations of antisemitism to punish political opponents, suppress academic freedom, and silence legitimate criticism of the Israeli government's actions. Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby said Trump's incoming administration would "use the idea of fighting antisemitism as a way of suppressing free speech and breaking up coalitions", especially on campuses, with the effect of "dividing Jews from other minorities" and "capitalizing" on divisions rather than aiming "to come to a common understanding". In an article highlighting Jewish leaders’ priorities and concerns for the second Trump term, Jacoby said, "We expect the incoming Trump administration to aggressively exploit real concerns about Jewish safety for political gain" and warned that the administration could use antisemitism concerns as an excuse to target federal funding for higher education and academic freedom. Nexus said it is committed to differentiating between antisemitic behavior and legitimate political activity, and demonstrating how Jewish students can be best protected using existing civil rights law. == See also ==