Nearly 3,000 concerned citizens have signed a letter delivered Sunday to Scottish First Minister John Swinney, accusing his government’s anti-Israel stance of fueling antisemitism and endangering Jewish lives in Scotland, JNS reported.
The letter, authored by Scotland Against Antisemitism, followed Swinney’s Thursday announcement that his government would pause new public contracts with arms companies supplying Israel. Swinney justified the move by claiming that “in the face of genocide, there can be no business as usual”- a statement that has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish activists and international observers.
Leah Benoz, founder and director of Scotland Against Antisemitism, warned in a statement accompanying the letter, “Not one Palestinian life will be saved by these measures, but Jewish life in Scotland will be put further at risk.”
Swinney elaborated that the Scottish government would halt funding to arms companies whose products are used by countries where “plausible evidence of genocide” exists - explicitly including Israel. He also called for recognition of a Palestinian state, echoing the British government’s recent position that such recognition could come next week if Israel fails to meet certain conditions, including a ceasefire.
The letter urged Swinney to “retract inflammatory language, particularly around ‘genocide,’ engage with the Jewish community in Scotland,” and “commit to concrete measures to protect Jewish safety.”
Despite comprising just 0.093% of Scotland’s population, Jews were the victims of approximately 17% of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year, the letter noted - underscoring the community’s vulnerability amid rising tensions.