Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network urges John Swinney to stand strong against antisemitism accusations
Jewish university staff on Wednesday backed the Scottish leader's recent condemnation of the war in Gaza and measures against Israel.
“As members of a people victimized by one genocide during the Second World War, we embrace those who stand against another genocide as it unfolds in the 21st century,” said the Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network (SUJSN) in a statement published in Scottish daily The National.
"For us, the slogan Never Again applies no matter who the victim might be,” it added.
Last week, First Minister John Swinney announced several measures, including halting public funding for arms companies linked to Israel and urging the UK government to withdraw from the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
“Acknowledging that we are witnessing the signs of genocide brings with it a responsibility to act,” Swinney said.
SUJSN said it understood the cautious approach taken by the first minister in describing the situation in Gaza as a plausible genocide.
"We are appalled by the relentless attempts to silence critics of Israel and its criminal deeds under the pretext of battling antisemitism, and we urge the Scottish government to stand firm against any attempt to portray the first minister’s statement on the situation in Gaza as antisemitic," the group added.
The network said it recognized nearly eight decades of Palestinian forced displacement, oppression, apartheid and a systematic erasure of Palestine that “evolved into a full-fledged genocide following October 2023.”
The statement also welcomed the Scottish government’s plans for divestment and sanctions against companies and institutions it described as complicit in the Gaza genocide, including in the higher education sector.
"We therefore feel encouraged by the first minister’s statement on the situation in Gaza and hope to see more actions taken against the Israeli genocide and in solidarity with Palestine," it said.
Israel has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and pushed much of the territory’s population into famine.
