Wiesenthal Center Mourns Passing Of Mihnea Constantinescu, Diplomat Who Steered Antisemitism Definition To Adoption

November 19, 2018

The Simon Wiesenthal Center mourns the passing of Romanian Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, former Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) when it adopted the Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2016.

Mark Weitzman, the Wiesenthal Center’s Director of Government Affairs who, as Chair of the IHRA’s Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, introduced and partnered with Constantinescu in the adoption of the Working Definition said: 

Mihnea Constantinescu was one of the great figures of our generation in the fight against antisemitism. He was untiring in his commitment to getting the definition adopted, and deserves the lion’s share of the credit for his vigorous efforts in achieving the adoption of the Working Definition against great odds. From the moment we first discussed the idea of the Working Definition two years before the Romanian Chairmanship officially began, he immediately grasped the need for the definition and was unwavering in his dedication and perseverance until he achieved the goal of official IHRA adoption. The Jewish world has lost a great ally, IHRA has lost an inspirational leader and voice of diplomatic wisdom, and the fight against antisemitism has lost a great champion. We mourn his loss and hope that his example will continue to inspire others to follow in his steps.

For more information, please contact the Center's Communications Department, 310-553-9036. Join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

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