Mendip District Council rejects adopting international anti-Semitism definition

Seven members abstained from the Mendip District Council vote held on Wednesday

Mendip District Council has rejected calls to adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism that includes the words hatred towards Jews.

It was asked to accept the wording by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA); an intergovernmental group established in 1998.

Councillors voted 35-0 against it.

They said it was unnecessary because the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998 already offered people protection from abuse.

Seven councillors abstained from the vote taken at a meeting on Wednesday, according to the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mendip District Council was asked in February to adopt the widely-recognised definition of anti-Semitism.

A decision was delayed to allow councillors to discuss whether it was necessary given the council's existing policies on equality and preventing discrimination.

'Safe workplace'

The IHRA defines anti-Semitism as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews", leading to rhetoric directed towards "Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

Numerous councils have adopted this definition but it is not legally binding.

"While we agree with the sentiment of the definition, we feel it duplicated existing legislation and protections that were in place," said councillor Philip Ham.

Council leader Ros Wyke said: "We wanted to confirm that Mendip is already a safe workplace for people of all religions, and remains a place where everyone can be their best and be valued well into the future."