Full Breakdown
Dominican Republic Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
8/28/2026, 4:17:21 AM
Core Decision and Immediate Context
On Monday, President Luis Abinader announced that the Dominican Republic will formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of antisemitism. The declaration was made at the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s sixth-annual Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism in Santo Domingo and includes a pledge to allocate 50 million Dominican pesos for a new building for the Jewish Museum of Sosúa. The president instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make the decision public, positioning the country as the seventh Latin American nation to embrace the IHRA framework.
Background and Regional Context
The IHRA definition, first adopted by its member states in 2016, is a non-legally binding description that provides examples ranging from Holocaust denial to double standards applied to Israel. Prior to this move, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and Uruguay had already adopted the definition. The Dominican Republic also holds a unique historical role: in the late 1930s it offered refuge to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust, leading to the establishment of a Jewish community in Sosúa.
Data and Adoption Landscape
- The Combat Antisemitism Movement’s Antisemitism Research Center reports that 1,334 governments, institutions and organizations worldwide had adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition by the end of 2025.
- According to JNS, 46 national governments globally have formally adopted the definition.
- The Dominican Republic will become the seventh Latin American country to do so.
- The same research center recorded 767 antisemitic incidents worldwide in March 2026, a 32.5 % increase over the previous year.
Official Statements & Responses
He stressed that rejecting antisemitism does not entail taking a position on any particular government or conflict.
U.S. Special Envoy Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun called the decision a “historic moment,” urging other Latin American governments to follow suit and noting that the United States stands ready to support regional efforts to protect Jewish communities.
Shay Salamon, executive director of Latin American affairs at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, highlighted the Dominican Republic’s historical openness to Jewish refugees and presented the adoption as a continuation of that legacy.
Why It Matters
The adoption provides a standardized framework for Dominican authorities to identify and address antisemitic incidents while respecting freedom of expression under the national constitution. Regionally, the decision may encourage additional Latin American governments to adopt the IHRA definition, creating a more uniform approach to combating hate across the Caribbean and South America. The investment in the Jewish Museum of Sosúa signals a broader commitment to preserving the country’s Jewish heritage and promoting interfaith understanding.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Antisemitism is not a problem that concerns only the Jewish people. It is a threat to democratic coexistence and to the rights and freedoms of us all. This fight must be guided by universal principles, not by temporary political circumstances.” — President Abinader
- “It means stating unequivocally that no political disagreement, no cause and no circumstance can justify hatred, discrimination, or violence against an individual or a community.” — Luis Abinader
- “When much of the world closed its doors to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, the Dominican Republic opened its doors and offered refuge,” — Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism
- “At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, moral clarity must be followed by action,” — Gideon Sa’ar, Israeli foreign minister