Thousands sign letter warning Scottish government of fanning flames of antisemitism

Scotland’s most senior politician has been told his recent announcements about Israel risk inflaming antisemitism and further endangering the country’s Jewish community, with thousands accusing his government of having “calculated that the cost of alienating Scotland’s Jews will be outweighed by electoral rewards.”

In an open letter to Scotland’s first Minister, John Swinney, close to three thousand signatories described his recent comments as a “decision was made to appease a small, extremist, and increasingly aggressive fringe of the activist class”. Last week, Swinney repeatedly described Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza as a genocide and announced that the Scottish government would halt any support for defence companies supplying Israel.

The signatories of the letter organised by the Scotland Against Antisemitism group, including lawyers, politicians, educators, clergy, students, and concerned citizens, described the charge of genocide as requiring “an exceptional standard of proof that can only be met in a court of law by producing irrefutable evidence of intent.

“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.”

Scotland’s Jewish community numbers around just 5,000 people — 0.093% of the population — yet were victims of 17% of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year. The letter warns that language from government risks legitimising this hostility, emboldening extremists, and deepening the isolation of Jewish Scots.

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?”

Early last week Swinney and another senior member of the Scottish government, Culture Secretary Angus Robertson, met representatives of the Jewish Council of Scotland (JCoS). After that meeting, JCoS wrote to the First Minister urging him not to describe the situation in Gaza a genocide, stating that “It is indisputable that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. It is equally beyond debate that both Israel and Hamas bear responsibility for this tragic situation.

“For you to assert as First Minister of Scotland that Israel is engaged in a genocidal campaign against Palestinians, however, would, in our view, be irresponsible. Ultimately, of course, only a competent court may determine whether and if so how the Genocide Convention may have been breached by Israel.”

This is a request which Swinney appears to have chosen to ignore. Speaking after the the First Minister’s announcement, the chairman of the Jewish Council of Scotland Timothy Lovat – who met the First Minister and Culture Secretary this week said:  “It is disappointing that despite his warm and reassuring words when we met with him and Angus Robertson on Monday, the First Minister has chosen to express a position that we are concerned will undermine the safety, security and well-being of the Jewish community in Scotland,” he said.

He said JCoS “will continue to engage with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to safeguard our community’s welfare and future in Scotland.”

The Scotland Against Antisemitism letter in full reads:

Dear First Minister Swinney,

We at Scotland Against Antisemitism write with grave concern following yesterday’s announcement from the Scottish Government regarding Israel.

As you are no doubt aware, our small and increasingly vulnerable community is living in an extraordinarily hostile environment, one that has only worsened since October 7th. 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 human suffering in Gaza is real and cannot be understated, nor is it our intention to do so. But we must be absolutely clear with you about the real-world impact of the measures your government has announced.

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. Neither viral propaganda nor the claims of discredited UN figures such as Francesca Albanese, who denies proven sexual atrocities and is accused of misrepresenting her legal credentials, or Tom Fletcher, author of the immediately debunked “14,000 dead babies” allegation, are sufficient. 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 Scottish Government holds no power over foreign policy and no meaningful influence over the State of Israel. 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. In short, the only people this announcement will materially affect are Scottish Jews who are already under siege.

We believe, with sorrow and outrage, that this decision was made to appease a small, extremist, and increasingly aggressive fringe of the activist class, a group whose support is being courted for political reasons. It appears the government has calculated that the cost of alienating Scotland’s Jews will be outweighed by electoral rewards.

But in the very week that yet more members of our community are leaving Scotland for Israel out of fear, we ask you plainly:

Is our safety really a price worth paying?

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.”

Scotland Against Antisemitism is a grassroots civic initiative launched in 2025 to document, expose, and counter antisemitism.