OTTAWA — Open Society Foundations announced Wednesday it will commit $30 million over the next three years toward initiatives aimed at combating 'antisemitism' and 'anti-Muslim hate'.The funding will support US organizations focused on anti-discrimination education and ‘protecting communities’ facing growing threats amid ongoing tensions tied to Israel's war in Gaza and broader regional consequences.“The deep injustices occurring in the Middle East are fueling indiscriminate prejudice, dehumanization, and violence directed against both Muslims and Jews,” said Binaifer Nowrojee in a statement.“Entire communities cannot be targeted simply because of their religion. Bigotry and intolerance in any form must be called out and confronted.”The announcement follows reports last year that the U.S. Department of Justice had examined possible legal actions involving the foundation. The organization has denied wrongdoing. .Alex Soros, who assumed leadership of the foundation from his father George Soros in 2022, said discrimination and religious hatred are personal issues for him.“At a moment like this we need to stand together and act,” Alex Soros said in a video statement. “This investment is about keeping people safe and pushing back against hate.”In a separate post on X, Alex Soros said his father “has been the target of antisemitism his whole life.”“It has only strengthened our resolve to stand against all forms of hate,” he wrote.The funding will support several organizations, including the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Nexus Project and Shoulder to Shoulder.The foundation did not specify which definition of 'antisemitism.' The working definition of 'antisemitism' published by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance has been adopted by 40 countries according to the organization. The definition remains primarily a non-legally binding definition that guides institutions to “utilize it to combat anti-Jewish hate”. The IHRA definition considers anti-Zionism to be a form of 'antisemitism. 'Multiple Jewish advocacy organizations that use the IHRA defintion including the Anti-Defamation League, consider anti-Zionism to be a form of antisemitism. However, organizations connected to the Open Society initiative support narrower definitions focused specifically on hatred toward Jewish people rather than criticism of Israeli government policies.
