23-05 DocuSign Envelope ID:84D73C53-7E40-4744-90EA-E66D20F8A5F3
RESOLUTION NO. 23-05
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER,
FLORIDA, APPROVING A NONBINDING DEFINITION OF
ANTISEMITISM, DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO FAMILIARIZE
THEMSELVES WITH THIS DEFINITION AND
CORRESPONDING REFERENCE MATERIALS,
INCORPORATING THEIR USAGE WHERE APPROPRIATE,
AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Florida Statute 166.041(1)(b) authorizes municipalities to adopt
resolutions as an expression of the governing body concerning matters of administration;
and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Clearwater has unanimously directed
the creation of a resolution relating to antisemitism; and
WHEREAS, contemporary manifestations of antisemitism may include calling
for, aiding, or justifying the harming of Jews; making dehumanizing, demonizing, or
stereotypical allegations about Jews; denying the fact, scope, mechanisms, or
intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people during the Holocaust; accusing
Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust;
accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of
Jews worldwide,than to the interests of their own nations; denying the Jewish people
their right to self-determination; applying double standards by requiring of Israel a
behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation; using symbols
and images associated with classic antisemitism; drawing comparisons of
contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis;accusing Jews of being responsible for
wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group; or holding American
Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel; and
WHEREAS, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that crimes against
Jews accounted for 80% of the religiously motivated incidents in Florida in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Florida has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents, according
to the ADL's annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, including a 50% increase in
reported incidents in 2021 over 2020, rising from 127 to 190, including 142 instances
of harassment, 47 instances of vandalism and one antisemitic assault.,
WHEREAS, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance ("IHRA"), an
international, intergovernmental organization, has established a non-legally binding
definition of antisemitism that has been adopted by 37 United Nations member
countries, including the United States, 22 individual states within the United States,
several cities, and 320 non federal government entities; and
Resolution No. 23-05
DocuSign Envelope ID:84D73C53-7E40-4744-90EA-E66D20F8A5F3
WHEREAS, the IHRA definition of antisemitism serves as an important tool for law
enforcement, public officials, City staff, and community members to help identify,
measure, monitor, and ultimately combat antisemitism; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA-
Section 1. The Clearwater City Council hereby adopts the IHRA
definition of antisemitism, which reads as follows-
"Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews,which may be expressed as
hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism
are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property,
toward Jewish community institutions, and religious facilities."
Section 2. The Clearwater City Council directs all City employees to rely
upon this definition for all City-sanctioned training materials, reference materials, and
City publications in any instance where antisemitism is being discussed or anti-
Semitic events are reported.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 4th day of April, 2023.
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ADoc�uSigned by:
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Mark Bunker
Vice Mayor
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Approved as to form- Attest-
DocuSigned by: DocuSigned by:
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David Margolis Rosemarie Call
City Attorney City Clerk
2 Resolution 23-05