Costa Rican FM to Israel’s Cohen: ‘We will soon adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism’

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Wednesday hosted his Costa Rican counterpart Arnoldo Andre Tinoco in Jerusalem, where they discussed collaboration and deepening relations between the two countries. 

In their meeting, Tinoco expressed his government’s intention to “soon adopt the definition of international antisemitism.” 

The Working Definition of Antisemitism was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016. Since then, it has become the consensus definition and a widely-recognized tool in the effort to identify all contemporary manifestations of anti-Jewish hatred, including by far-right extremists, Islamists, and the far-left. 

Cohen "expressed deep appreciation to" Tinoco for "Costa Rica's decision to adopt the definition of antisemitism and to fight more vigorously any manifestation of hatred against Jews."

In June of last year, Israel adopted the IHRA definition, which describes various behaviors considered antisemitic, including the denial of the Holocaust.

Included in the growing list of IHRA definition adoptions are nations, cities, universities, NGOs, and corporations such as The Philippines, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vancouver, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lufthansa Airlines. 

In the United States, 18 new states adopted it via legislation or executive actions throughout the last year, bringing the total number of states adopting this definition of antisemitism to 30 out of 50. 

The two foreign ministers also examined the variety of possible collaborations and the deepening of the relations between the two countries.

"Costa Rica is an important friend of the State of Israel and under the leadership of the new administration in the country, many opportunities for cooperation are opening up," Cohen added.