Another ‘Project Fear’ attacks Scottish civil society as anti-semitic and urges Scottish Jews to leave for Israel/Palestine

It is an axiom of political Zionism that Jews cannot live safely anywhere outside Israel and those who do so are inferior to those who emigrate to Israel (olim) to take part in the Zionist project of dispossession of the native Palestinian people. The original European project to colonise Palestine makes no sense unless one accepts as axiomatic, i.e. so obviously true as to require no need for any proof, the notion that Jews cannot live safely among non-Jews. Zionist assertions, thus, often need no proof in the eyes of their authors.

Below is an Israeli Zionist analysis of Scotland on the eve of the referendum, which well qualifies as one more 'Project Fear' aimed at Scottish Jewish citizens, not merely asking them to vote No, but to prepare to emigrate for fear of their fellow ctizens.

Scottish Rabbi with official Jewish kosher tartanMost Scottish Jews, however, seem to enjoy life in Scotland. Scottish Rabbi Mendel Jacobs, who commissioned Scotland's official kosher Jewish tartan, notes that 

"The Jewish people have been an integral part of Scottish Culture for more than 300 years, with the first Jew recorded in Edinburgh in 1691. In Scotland, the Jews were never persecuted and there were no pogroms, no Holocaust, no national or state sponsored antisemitic laws. When England was burning and exiling its Jews in the Middle Ages, Scotland provided a safe haven from English and European anti-Semitism."

Anti-Zionism is a duty; anti-semitism is a species of racism as ugly as islamophobia and equally deserving of condemnation.

The Times of Israel conflates - of course - opposition to apartheid Israel and hatred of Scottish Jews. The author damns the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister, Church of Scotland, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, and much else before picking on us: "The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is particularly active and displays a fanatical hatred of Israel and by implication, Jewish self-determination."  We accept the "particularly active" as a compliment, but argue that our hostility to apartheid Israel is based on generally accepted notions of human rights for all citizens of a country.

For the record, Scottish PSC opposes "Jewish self-determination", as well as Catholic, Mormon, Muslim and Jehovah's Witnesses "self-determination". We are happy to be hated by those who support the massacre and dispossession of Palestinians. It seems, from the account of the Times of Israel, that we are in very broad company.

Scottish PSC urges Scottish Jews to remain in Scotland as equal citizens in a generally tolerant society, rather than emigrate to apartheid Israel and support a state committing genocide against the native people of Palestine. We wish to alert all Scots to the sinister, never-ending effort by political Zionists to implicate Scottish Jews in the crimes of the state of Israel. Just as most British citizens felt the need to tell the world that the massacres and mayhem committed by Tony Blair (aided by Gordon Brown and Jim Murphy) were committed "not in our name", a similar danger confronts those on whose behalf the Israeli State claims it carries out its barbarous acts.  This writer has two passports; two states claim to be committing gross war crimes in my name. Jewish citizens of the UK are in a similar situation.

The article below should be read together with opposing reports and analyses:
Scotland: 'little or no antisemitism' is coupled with 'rise of anti-Zionist political activity'
Scottish Council firm against demented Zionist hysteria

Mick Napier
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
West Calder 11 September 2014

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SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE: GOOD OR BAD FOR THE JEWS?
by Brian Fink
Times of Israel 8 September 2014

...Fast forward now to 1997 when the then Labour government included plans for a devolved Scottish assembly, which came into being in May 1999. After the Scottish National Party became the largest party in the Scottish Parliament and later won an overall majority, pressure for a full independence referendum became irresistible.

Scotland avoided the anti-semitism of other countriesWhere does this leave the Scottish Jewish community? There are an estimated 6,000-7,000 Jews in Scotland, mainly located in Glasgow with smaller communities in Edinburgh and Dundee and small pockets scattered around the country. Historically Jews have not been oppressed in Scotland but there is palpably much animosity to them north of the border. This is sometimes disguised as anti-Zionism but often without even this fig-leaf. Operation 'Protective Edge' this summer stripped away any pretense that this antagonism was merely directed at Israel and not at Jews per se. In the first week of August, more anti-Semitic incidents were recorded than in the whole of the previous year. Insulting graffiti on synagogues, verbal and written threats, incitement to violence, open hostility to Jews in universities, trade unions and town and city councils (some of which have flown the Palestinian flag) are everyday events and are making life difficult for Jewish Scots. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is particularly active and displays a fanatical hatred of Israel and by implication, Jewish self-determination.

Yvonne Ridley, a former reporter captured by Jihads and 'turned' by them to their cause, tweeted that she wanted a 'Zionist-free Scotland' As many, if not most, of the community support Israel's existence, this implies a Jew-free Scotland. The Scottish Parliament itself has debated more anti-Israel motions than against all other countries combined despite the horrendous slaughters all over the Muslim World. Alex Salmond, who stands to become an independent Scotland's first Prime Minister has variously called Israel 'not a normal state' and 'a criminal state' and one 'which should be subject to sanctions.' An independent MSP, Jean Urquhart on her website denounces 'Israel's genocide of the Palestinian People' while four local councils have publicly said they will boycott all Israeli goods. The Church of Scotland issued a document denying any Jewish claim to the Holy Land although this was partly ameliorated after a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community. Scot, George Galloway who is notorious for his anti-Israel obsession and is one of Bradford's MPs, said that no Israelis should be tolerated in that city. The Scottish Human Rights Commission has issued seven statements condemning countries, six of those were against Israel. These are just a few examples of the unhealthy and manic obsession that Scots have with the Jewish state and which is directed at no other country, no matter how evil.

The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities in August this year issued a statement calling on public bodies to recognize the growing number of incidents of antisemitism in the country. Should the Scots vote for independence and the restraining hand of Westminster be removed, one wonders how long it might be before motions to ban schechita (kosher animal slaughter) and brit milah are debated in the Scottish Parliament. This has already happened in some European states and is a 'respectable' way to make life difficult for Jews.

Would Scottish Jews be required to swear an oath of non-allegiance to Israel? Would an Israeli ambassador be even allowed into Edinburgh? These hypotheses may seem fanciful but given the climate of hostility, I suspect not. There's an old, wry joke about a Jew who receives a telegram (these days it would have to be a text message, email or Tweet) from a relative which says "start worrying- details to follow". Scottish Jews, I'm sure are worried, very worried. As always, and as reaction to this summer's events in Gaza has thrown into sharp relief, prudent Diaspora Jews need to keep a bag packed at all times.
Full article Scottish independence: Good or bad for the Jews? by Brian Fink, Times of Israel