Your statement on the Jerusalem conflict
Dear First Minister,
IT IS WITH GREAT CONCERN and sadness that I write to you today following your recent statement, attached, about the conflict in the Middle East. A statement that has increased the level of Antisemitism in Scotland and has put fear into the heart of members of the Jewish community.
As First Minister of Scotland, you have condemned the Israeli Government for its use of force whilst completely ignoring the violence by Palestinian hooligans and rioters against defenceless Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall, Judaism’s most holy site.
Your reference to Sheikh Jarrah is inaccurate, false and misleading. There have not been any evictions and any such evictions should they occur, will be based on a long-running judicial case that has lasted for many years and has been escalated all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court. I can provide you with a detailed history of this matter but please be aware that the tenants in these disputes acquired their leasehold rights through a chain from the Jordanian Custodian of Enemy Property in the 1950s. Their rights as leaseholders (not owners) were reaffirmed in several court rulings culminating in 1982 when Israel’s civil courts issued rulings adopting settlement agreements between the leaseholders’ predecessors in title and the owners. The rulings and settlement agreements established that the tenants had “protected leaseholds” under Israeli law (a status superior to ordinary leaseholds under Israeli, Jordanian and British law) but that the owners still had good title ownership.
The tenants enjoyed and continue to enjoy the benefits of the protected tenancies until today; this is why their leaseholds continued uninterrupted for more than half a century, until the recent expiration of the leases (in some cases due to serious breaches of the terms of the lease, in others due to the natural expiration of the lease rights). The squatters, of course, possess no legal rights at all. The same process of eviction in similar situations takes place in Scotland today and therefore it is a strange statement that you have made that Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Sheikh Jarrah against an eviction that has not happened.
You have rightly expressed your huge honour and privilege to represent the most diverse constituency in Scotland. You have stated that there is a vibrant Muslim community in the Southside of Glasgow and that you have visited their Mosques which are sacred and must be protected. There is also a vibrant Jewish community in your constituency that should be praised in the same terms and yet for some unexplained reason, has been ignored in your statement.
There can be no doubt that attacking a place of worship should be avoided at any time. However, stockpiling rocks for hurling at innocent worshippers should be condemned in the same way. I have attached a photo showing Palestinian rioters INSIDE the Mosque of Al Aqsa next to a collection of rocks that were used to attack Jewish worshippers at the Wailing Wall. Surely that is also indefensible and should be condemned in the same way. And yet such condemnation from you is absent.
It is clearly desirable and important to call on the UK Government to condemn the unacceptable use of force but surely all use of force by both Israelis and Palestinians must be condemned? An emphasis you have for some reason omitted.
You confirm that Foreign Affairs is reserved to the UK Government but clearly with your statement you have taken an anti-Israel position. Can you advise if you have made similar calls against any other government in the world or is this kind of criticism reserved only for the only Jewish State? If so, that would constitute an act of antisemitism as defined in the IHRA definition adopted by the Scottish Government.
I am assured that the Scottish Government you lead will continue to stand up for all human rights for those in Palestine and right across the world and yet you do not seem to do so for the citizens of Israel.
I have been heavily criticised by members of my community for continuing to be a member of the Scottish National Party and I must admit that I have great concern and sadness about what I believe to be a one-sided, biased and prejudiced statement from you.
Kind regards
Sammy Stein
