(a) Impact of Sky Lanterns and Helium-filled Balloons
Proposed by: Councillor S. Murray
Seconded by: Councillor S. Neville
“That Epping Forest District Council
(1) Notes the environmental and biological impact of the release of sky lanterns and helium-filled balloons;
(2) Asks our environmental services team to prepare a report on the possibility and practicalities of banning their release on Council owned land; and
(3) Resolves to write to the new Government to ask them to actively consider a general legal ban on their release”.
(b) International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Guidelines on Antisemitism
Proposed by: Councillor C. Whitbread
Seconder: Councillor J. Philip
“Epping Forest District Council abhors racism in all forms and is particularly concerned at the rise in profile and frequency of antisemitism nationally.
We therefore welcome the Government’s announcement on 11 December 2016 that it will sign up to the internationally recognised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) guidelines on antisemitism which define antisemitism as:
‘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, towards Jewish Community institutions and religious facilities.’
The guidelines highlight manifestations of antisemitism as including:
• calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion;
• making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective, such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions;
• accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews;
• denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust);
• accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust;
• accusing Jewish citizens as 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, e.g. by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour;
• applying double standards by requiring of it a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation;
• using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis;
• drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; and
• holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel;
This Council therefore resolves to:
(1) State its condemnation of all forms of racism in all of its manifestations; and
(2) Adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism as the working model for challenging and confronting incidents of this form of racism.”
(c) To consider any further motions, notice of which has been given under the Council’s procedure rules.
Minutes:
(a) Impact of Sky Lanterns and Helium-filled Balloons
Moved by Councillor S Murray and seconded by Councillor S Neville
“That Epping Forest District Council
(1) Notes the environmental and biological impact of the release of sky lanterns and helium-filled balloons;
(2) Asks our environmental services team to prepare a report on the possibility and practicalities of banning their release on Council owned land; and
(3) Resolves to write to the new Government to ask them to actively consider a general legal ban on their release”.
Carried
Motion as first proposed ADOPTED
RESOLVED:
That Epping Forest District Council
(1) Notes the environmental and biological impact of the release of sky lanterns and helium-filled balloons;
(2) Asks our environmental services team to prepare a report on the possibility and practicalities of banning their release on Council owned land; and
(3) Resolves to write to the new Government to ask them to actively consider a general legal ban on their release.
(b) International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Guidelines on Antisemitism
Moved by Councillor C Whitbread and seconded by Councillor J Philip
“Epping Forest District Council abhors racism in all forms and is particularly concerned at the rise in profile and frequency of antisemitism nationally.
We therefore welcome the Government’s announcement on 11 December 2016 that it will sign up to the internationally recognised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) guidelines on antisemitism which define antisemitism as:
‘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, towards Jewish Community institutions and religious facilities.’
The guidelines highlight manifestations of antisemitism as including:
• calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion;
• making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective, such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions;
• accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews;
• denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust);
• accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust;
• accusing Jewish citizens as 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, e.g. by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour;
• applying double standards by requiring of it a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation;
• using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis;
• drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; and
• holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel;
This Council therefore resolves to:
(1) State its condemnation of all forms of racism in all of its manifestations; and
(2) Adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism as the working model for challenging and confronting incidents of this form of racism.”
Carried
Motion as first moved ADOPTED
RESOLVED:
That the Council therefore resolves to:
(1) State its condemnation of all forms of racism in all of its manifestations; and
(2) Adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism as the working model for challenging and confronting incidents of this form of racism.