Scottish political leaders have rallied together to support the Jewish community after the rise in UK antisemitism and attacks against Jews in Europe.
In a joint statement, representatives of Scottish Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green and the SNP parties said: "As political leaders in Scotland, we join together to express sadness and concern about the recent antisemitic terrorist murders in Paris and Copenhagen, the rise in antisemitism across Europe that has been highlighted by several recent reports, and the raising of the security threat level in the UK.
“We celebrate Scotland's traditionally positive relationship with its Jewish population but understand why events elsewhere can undermine their sense of security, belonging, and well-being, and come together unreservedly to condemn all manifestations of antisemitism in Scotland and to assert Scotland's warm desire that Jewish people living in Scotland should feel safe, completely at home, and a key part of the multicultural Scottish community."
The statement was signed by: Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister and Leader of the SNP; Jim Murphy MP, leader of Scottish Labour; MSP Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party; MSP Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats; Partick Harvie MSP, joint leader of the Scottish Green Party and Kezia Dugdale MSP, leader of the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group.
It was supported by religious institutions - the Church of Scotland; the Roman Catholic Bishops Conference; the Muslim Council of Scotland – as well as the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
MPs Alistair Carmichael, Secretary of State for Scotland, Margaret Curran, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Angus Robertson, leader of the SNP in the House of Commons, also backed the statement.
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities welcomed the “clear message to all parts of Scottish society, along with the excellent work being done by Police Scotland to ensure the physical safety of the community and by the Procurator Fiscal service to bring the perpetrators of antisemitic hate crime to justice”.
