• THE International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted the working definition of anti-Semitism is based on a definition first published by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in 2005.

The Labour Party’s code of conduct on anti-Semitism uses this identical definition in full.

When Dame Margaret Hodge states that “Labour’s national executive committee agreed its own definition of anti-Semitism”, this is factually incorrect (Guardian July 19).

The same is true of the letter from 68 rabbis who wrote that: “It is not the Labour Party’s place to rewrite a definition of anti-Semitism” (Guardian July 17).

Labour MPs and peers plan to incorporate the full internationally accepted definition of anti-Semitism into their own official rule books (Observer July 22).

The IHRA states as a guide in its work it provides examples that may serve as illustrations. What then follows can hardly be included in the “definition”.

In the IHRA’s document the definition is in a box, and bold, clearly separate from the illustrations.

The letter in the New Journal (Labour should act ‘sharpish’ and adopt the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, July 12) also allows misquotes since a definition does not include examples.

When critical inaccurate statements are made, an immediate robust correction is essential.

ISKY GORDON
Lawford Road, NW5