Safety fears of Jews in Scotland after John Swinney’s ‘gesture politics’

Leaders of Scotland’s Jewish community fear their safety will be “put further at risk” as a result of “gesture politics” from John Swinney over the conflict in Gaza.

Scotland Against Antisemitism warned that the First Minister’s claims of a “genocide” there could see an increase in the “harassment and intimidation of Jews here in Scotland”.

Claiming that Jews are leaving Scotland for Israel “out of fear”, the group asked Mr Swinney: “Is our safety really a price worth paying?”

Scotland’s Jewish community numbers around just 5,000 people – yet Scotland Against Antisemitism said they were victims in almost a fifth (17%) of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year.

Almost 3,000 people have now signed its open letter to the First Minister, calling for the Scottish Government to “retract its inflammatory language”.

The group also wants a meeting with the Government to discuss how it plans to protect the Jewish community “not just in words, but in action”.

It comes after Mr Swinney last week announced that Scottish Government funding for arms companies supplying Israel will be paused – with the First Minister saying as he did so that there is a “prima facie case of genocide in Gaza”.

However Scotland Against Antisemitism’s letter pointed out that “the Scottish Government holds no power over foreign policy and no meaningful influence over the State of Israel”.

It added that “the decision to pull a tiny amount of funding from a handful of commercial projects will not impact the Israeli government or change the course of the war”.

It went on to argue an “exceptional standard of proof that can only be met in a court” is needed before genocide can be declared.

The group said: “For the Scottish Government to endorse this modern-day blood libel will not save a single innocent life in Gaza, but it will embolden those who now use the language of genocide to justify the harassment and intimidation of Jews here in Scotland.”

Leah Benoz, the founder and director of Scotland Against Antisemitism, said: “The Scottish Government has no power over foreign policy, and the proposed funding cuts are tiny and will have no effect on events in the Middle East.

“Not one Palestinian life will be saved by these measures, but Jewish life in Scotland will be put further at risk.

“Our question to Mr Swinney is simple: is our safety really a price worth paying for this kind of gesture politics?”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the First Minister made clear in setting out his statement to Parliament, the Scottish Government deeply values our relationship with Scotland’s Jewish community and it is vital that they feel safe and supported.

“There can be no place for antisemitism or hatred of any kind in Scotland.”

The spokesperson continued: “The First Minister met with representatives of the Jewish community this week to assure them of this, and will continue to engage in dialogue with the community.

“The International Court of Justice has found a prima facie case that the Israeli government was committing genocide and the First Minister, along with many international leaders, shares the concerns that the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza constitute a genocide.”