Downtown Belgrade, Serbia. Photo: Chris Bennett via Wikimedia Commons.

Serbia has become the latest country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The Israeli Embassy in Belgrade tweeted on Monday, “We welcome the decision [of the] @SerbianGov to accept the working definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance @IHRA which will help Serbia in recognizing and prosecuting cases of this dangerous phenomenon.”

Pozdravljamo odluku @SerbianGov da prihvati radnu definiciju antisemitizma Međunarodne alijanse za sećanje na #Holokaust @IHRA koja će Srbiji pomoći u prepoznavanju i procesuiranju slučajeva tog opasnog fenomena. #Srbija #antisemitizam #IHRADefinition https://t.co/1znSuU52Ty

— Ambasada Izraela (@IsraelinSerbia) June 1, 2020

B’nai B’rith International tweeted, “We commend Serbia for joining the growing list of countries and organizations that have adopted @TheIHRA definition of #antiSemitism. We have to define anti-Semitism to be properly able to fight it.”

We commend Serbia for joining the growing list of countries and organizations that have adopted @TheIHRA definition of #antiSemitism. We have to define anti-Semitism to be properly able to fight it.

— B’nai B’rith Int’l (@BnaiBrith) June 1, 2020

Before World War II, Serbia had a Jewish population of over 30,000 people. The community was decimated by the Holocaust, with 2/3 of its members murdered by the Nazis.

After the war, most of the survivors emigrated from the country, largely to Israel.

Fewer than 1,000 Jews live in Serbia today.

The IHRA definition says, “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.”