Inquiry into Edinburgh U’s ties to slave trade recommends it drop IHRA antisemitism definition

An inquiry into the University of Edinburgh’s connections to the transatlantic slave trade has recommended that the institution unadopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The inquiry, which made 47 recommendations, says the definition silenced “free conversation” about Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. It also suggested the university sell off its investments in companies that have significant links to the Israeli government.

The IHRA definition of antisemitism has been adopted by groups and governments worldwide, but is contested because it covers some examples of anti-Israel rhetoric, such as denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination.

The inquiry, commissioned by the university’s principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, found the Scottish capital’s university played an “outsized” role in the forming of racist pseudoscience and profited off slavery.

Luke Tress contributed to this report.