Scotland's Jewish community sent a harsh letter to First Minister John Swinney, accusing him of "fanning the flames of antisemitism" after he announced support for recognizing a Palestinian state and freezing funding to arms companies operating with Israel.
The letter, sent by the organization "Scotland Against Antisemitism" and signed by approximately 3,000 people, warns that the Scottish government's recent announcements will further endanger the Jewish community in the country.
"Modern blood libel"
Last week, Swinney announced the freezing of new public funding to arms companies whose products are supplied to countries where there is "reasonable evidence" they are committing genocide, meaning Israel as well. In response, Jews accused the government of a "modern blood libel."
"The accusation of genocide is one of the gravest under international law. It requires an exceptional standard of proof that can only be met in a court of law by producing irrefutable evidence of intent," the letter stated.
The organization continued: "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."
The letter emphasizes the vulnerability of the Scottish Jewish community: "We number around 5,000 people, just 0.093% of Scotland's population, yet we were the victims of approximately 17% of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year. That figure alone should be a matter of national shame."
The community accused the government of acting "to appease a small, extremist, and increasingly aggressive fringe of the activist class, a group whose support is being courted for political reasons," and that it calculated that "the cost of alienating Scotland's Jews will be outweighed by electoral rewards."
Leah Benoz, 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?"
The letter concludes with a plea: "We call on the Scottish Government to retract its inflammatory language and meet with the Jewish community to discuss how the government plans to protect us – not just in words, but in action."
Government response
A Scottish government spokesperson replied: "As the first minister has made clear, the Scottish government greatly values its relationship with Scotland's Jewish community, and it is vital that they feel safe and supported. There is no place for antisemitism or hatred of any kind in Scotland." She added that "the International Court of Justice found preliminary grounds that Israel's government is committing genocide, and the first minister, along with many international leaders, shares concerns that Israel's government's actions in Gaza constitute genocide."
