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Nearly 3,000 people in Scotland signed an open letter warning that a government boycott of Israel would inflame antisemitism.
The signatories include lawyers, clergy, educators, politicians, and students.
The campaign, organized by Scotland Against Antisemitism, followed First Minister John Swinney’s decision to freeze funding for arms companies tied to Israel. The group argued the move would not change events in the Middle East. Instead, it would worsen risks for Jews in Scotland.
Scotland has fewer than 5,000 Jews, less than 0.1% of the population. Yet in 2024, Jews suffered 17% of all religiously-motivated hate crimes. Consequently, the community fears the government’s actions would encourage further hostility.
“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,” said Leah Benoz, Founder and Director of Scotland Against Antisemitism. “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?”
Genocide Claim Called a “Modern-Day Blood Libel”
The letter also rejected Swinney’s assertion that there was “prima facie evidence” Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. It noted that genocide is one of the gravest crimes in international law. Crucially, it requires undeniable proof of intent, which does not exists in Israel’s case.
Moreover, by repeating this claim, the letter warned, the Scottish government spreads a modern-day blood libel. “It appears the government has calculated that the cost of alienating Scotland’s Jews will be outweighed by electoral rewards,” the letter stated.
Read our full letter to @scotgov and @ScotGovFM and sign here; https://t.co/J7KsOmaidJ pic.twitter.com/1oMpToxN0U
— Scotland Against Antisemitism (@SAA_scotland) September 4, 2025
The group urged the government to retract its rhetoric. They also called for direct talks with Jewish leaders to address security concerns.
Meanwhile, Swinney announced that funds withheld from arms companies will go to a deployable hospital in Gaza. He said the facility will provide surgical, maternity, and pediatric care. In addition, he pledged £600,000 to the UN Humanitarian Fund and promised to bring 20 injured children from Gaza to Scotland for treatment.
Rising Fears for Scotland’s Jews
For Scotland’s Jews, these policies raise pressing questions of safety and belonging. Campaigners warned that symbolic boycotts and reckless accusations encourage hostility. Therefore, they stressed, Scotland cannot ignore how such gestures translate into threats against Jews in daily life.
