Save the Children UK decides not to adopt IHRA antisemitism definition despite review’s advice

Save the Children UK has decided not to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, despite an independent review recommending it. The charity will instead use the Equality Act and ACAS guidance. The UK special envoy called the decision a failure of leadership.

Save the Children UK has decided not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, despite an independent review commissioned by the charity in 2024 recommending it. The review, initiated in response to internal feedback following the Israel-Palestinian conflict, suggested the IHRA definition as a recognized standard. However, George Graham, Director of Global Impact at Save the Children UK, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that the Executive Leadership Team chose instead to use the Equality Act and ACAS guidance on race and religion discrimination, calling it a unifying and legally grounded framework. The charity agreed with the review's recommendation to avoid Nazi and Holocaust comparisons and to use the term 'Zionist' carefully. Graham expressed sorrow over experiences of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred identified in the reviews. Jon Pearce, Labour MP and UK special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, criticized the decision as a failure of leadership, stating that the IHRA definition is the internationally recognized benchmark for identifying antisemitism.