(JNS) A group of 160 Jewish organizations from 66 countries are urging the United Nations to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism.

The Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, European Jewish Congress, Jewish Federations of North America, World Jewish Congress and B’nai B’rith are organizers of a letter to the United Nations in which the signatories wrote that they have long recognized that understanding antisemitism is a prerequisite to combating it.

“Key to these efforts is employing a clear and comprehensive definition that explains the multiple forms antisemitism may take,” they wrote. “It is our collective view that the non-legally binding IHRA working definition of antisemitism is an indispensable tool to understand and fight antisemitism.”

In a press release, Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, stated that one cannot overemphasize the significance of the IHRA definition.

“It is the most widely adopted and accepted definition by governments, institutions and organizations around the world,” he said. “It’s essential to effectively combat antisemitism because it allows policymakers worldwide to identify and respond to all forms of Jew-hatred, including those that may be more subtle, but no less insidious.”