‘Universities setting tone for Scottish anti-Zionism’

The situation facing Jewish and pro-Israel students on Scottish campuses is a microcosm of the scenario facing Scottish Jewry as a whole.

That was the view of students at an Israel advocacy conference in Glasgow on Sunday - the first such event run by Israel advocacy organisation Stand With Us (SWU) in Scotland.

Around 30 participants from universities in Glasgow and Edinburgh spoke about issues they faced while studying.

Noa Cohen, vice-chair of the new Israel Engagement Society (IES) at Edinburgh University, said being vocal about Israel on campus made students a "target".

The IES was formed last year "in reaction to a strong boycott movement," she said. The group has a core of around 30 members but only around 25 per cent of them are Jewish.

Ms Cohen was speaking as part of an open forum for students to discuss anti-Israel and antisemitic episodes they have experienced on campus.

IES political vice-chair Theo Robertson-Bonds said: "Students for Justice in Palestine tends to have events based around letter-writing or staging a 'die-in'. It's not fun, it's not engaging. Thus we're trying to have fun and engage people. Our view is that, through building up a really rich social base… we will attract more people."

Ms Cohen also advised students to avoid using the term "Zionism" -"there are such negative connotations. It needs to be tackled eventually, but especially when you're trying to build up a base, stay away from it," she argued.

Concerns were also raised over Scottish politicians who have promoted anti-Israel or antisemitic views.

Conference keynote speaker Jackson Carlaw, a Conservative MSP, said of MSPs' commemoration of the Holocaust: "I think some think they have ticked a box when they do that and are free the rest of the year to be deeply critical about Israel, and at times to allow that anti-Israel expression to cross into an antisemitic expression, and not see the difference."

Mr Carlaw said that Scottish Jews had "started to feel under threat again.

"I don't want the future Jewish community to feel no longer welcome in Scotland or that they have to follow through on discussions about whether it is time for them to leave".

SWU communities director Irene Naftalin said the fact there had been a large number of non-Jewish students at the conference was "very heartening".

● First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met a delegation of Jewish students for the first time last week to discuss their concerns about campus life.