Anti-semites face the book

With more than 900 ‘likes’, the page Welcome to Israel, only kidding you’re in Giffnock caused widespread dismay among the Jewish community and beyond.

The page, which pictured Holocaust survivor Rev Ernest Levy, included offensive comments from users relating to the Holocaust and the Scottish Jewish community.

The information section of the page stated: “They have a Gaelic translation in the train station, Hebrew would have been more appropriate”.

Many users reported the group to Facebook, which have since closed the page down.

Michael Gladstone complained to St Ninian’s high school after he found that some pupils and former pupils were members of the group.

He said: “What is going on at the school that pupils think its acceptable to go on to Facebook, join this group, and post and like such vile comments?”

An East Renfrewshire council spokesman told The Extra: “Two current pupils did join this page but after investigation it is clear that they made no racist comments”.

“As a community made up of many communities, the views expressed on this site have no place here.

“It is right that this site and the abhorrent views expressed have been removed by Facebook”.

Trainee lawyer Marc Livingston from Giffnock is deeply concerned by the page which included comments such as Jewish scum and F*** the Jewish Zionist.

He said: “Although I have always found Giffnock comfortable, I am concerned that almost nobody on the page had criticised it.

“In other words, almost a thousand people have no problem with these phrases”.

Local MP Jim Murphy said: “This is as idiotic as it is insulting.

“One of the great things about our area is that so many people of different backgrounds live as neighbours.

“One of the problems with the internet is it allows morons to write things anonymously”.

West of Scotland MSP Stewart Maxwell from Giffnock emphasized that this page “does not reflect the opinion of East Renfrewshire’s population who are tolerant and respectful of people from all religions and races”.

“The Jewish community of Giffnock is a valued part of Scottish society, and the disgraceful comments posted on Facebook will never detract from this fact”.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that “appropriate action will be taken on the people that made this page”.

“Enquiries are continuing, people will be spoken to and investigated”.