EAST Renfrewshire’s councillors have backed a call to adopt international guidelines on anti-Semitism.

More than 100 councils across the UK have accepted the definition from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), with East Renfrewshire now set to join them.

It describes anti-Semitism as “A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

East Renfrewshire has the highest Jewish population in Scotland, with more than 50 per cent of the community choosing to live in the area.

At the latest full council meeting, Councillor Paul O’Kane, who represents Newton Mearns North and Neilston, submitted a motion calling for the local authority to sign up to the international definition.

Reading his motion in the council chambers, he said: “East Renfrewshire Council is rightly proud of its efforts to tackle discrimination in all its forms.

“We celebrate our greatly diverse community, including the largest Jewish population in Scotland. We condemn racism and anti-Semitism wherever it is found.

“As part of the council’s ongoing equalities work, we resolve to join with the UK and Scottish governments and the major political parties in the UK in signing up to the internationally-recognised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance guidelines on anti-Semitism.”

Elected members voted to back the motion, which called for the council to restate its condemnation of all forms of racism in all its manifestations and adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism as the working model for challenging and confronting anti-Semitic incidents in future.