Amnesty Isle of Man questions foreign influence

Island adopted IHRA definition of antisemitism earlier this year

Amnesty Isle of Man Group has raised concerns over documents which reveal more than a year of lobbying by the Commonwealth Jewish Council before the government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.

A Freedom of Information response, containing 17 documents of correspondence, follows Amnesty IOM’s concerns that it first raised after the CJC sent an 'intervention letter' to the Chief Minister in July 2025.

The letter, shared with all Tynwald members ahead of a debate on the Isle of Man's international law obligations, urged rejection of a related motion.

The campaign group said the documents show sustained contact between the Switzerland-based organisation and Chief Minister Alfred Cannan throughout 2025, urging the government to adopt the definition in full and without caveats.

The adoption was announced on Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January, following advice from the CJC.

It states: "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, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

While a non-legally binding statement, it has been accepted by the UK Government and the major political parties in the UK.

In its letter to Mr Cannan, in September 2025, the CJC pushed for the Island to introduce it quickly and hinted towards it being a worthwhile position to take.

It said: "It establishes a clear position for the Isle of Man on antisemitism. 

"It provides important reassurance to current and future investors in the Island that the Isle of Man is a welcoming and tolerant place in which to live, study, work and invest and will not tolerate this type of racism."

Amnesty IOM claims the correspondence demonstrates an attempt by an external organisation to influence government policy.

The group also criticised Mr Cannan's handling of the issue, noting that while he previously said no foreign state had sought to influence the Island's democratic process, the FoI documents show ongoing engagement with the CJC.

It said that it was ‘disingenuous of him to not mention the letter from a foreign organisation, based in Switzerland, that is clearly advocating on behalf of the Israeli state’.

The documents also include references to concerns about antisemitism on the Island and a four-page briefing paper that was later included in a Council of Ministers briefing.

However the CoMin paper also identified reservations including concerns over free speech, the existing Equality Act protections and criticism from some legal experts who believe the IHRA definition can blur the distinction between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel.

Amnesty IOM's Phil Matthews claims the decision appeared to have been made under significant external pressure and urged the government to ensure the definition is never used to restrict free expression or peaceful protest.

He said: "We were pleased to see that CoMin noted the adoption was non-legally binding, would be mainly symbolic and does not override existing protections for freedom of expression. 

"It is clear that a lot of pressure was put on the chief minister to facilitate this decision and we trust it will never be used to silence free speech or peaceful protests as it has in some other countries.

"Conflating criticism of the Israeli government with hatred of Jewish people does not protect Jewish communities. 

"It dilutes the meaning of the term ‘antisemitism’ and makes it harder to identify genuine anti-Jewish hatred when it appears.

"If everything is antisemitism, eventually nothing is. 

"This full definition (with examples) cannot be trusted to distinguish between legitimate criticism and racism."

Manx Radio has invited the Isle of Man Government to respond.