Scottish politician Alex Salmond appeared to compare the Islamic State terror group’s beheading of a British aid worker to the actions of the Israeli government in controversial comments on Sunday.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Mr Salmond said: “The Muslim community of Scotland isn’t responsible in any shape or form for atrocities or extremism, just like a few weeks ago the Jewish community of Scotland wasn’t responsible for the policies of the state of Israel.”

The Scottish National Party leader was commenting after Scottish aid worker David Haines was murdered by Islamic State terrorists in Iraq.

Mr Salmond had been discussing the need for community cohesion when he made the remarks.

There has been a sharp rise in antisemitism in Scotland following the Israeli military operation in Gaza in July.

Board of Deputies president Vivian Wineman said:“Any attempt to equate the actions of the democratically elected Israeli government in defending its citizens from attack with the despicable cold-blooded murder of a British aid worker by terrorists would be self-evidently absurd and vile and we cannot conceive that this was the First Minister’s intention.”