I absolutely agree with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. It is anti-Semitic to deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination, to deny the legitimacy of Israel’s existence, or to claim that Israel is an inherently racist endeavour. I am a proud supporter of Israel and its right to exist, and a strong opponent of anti-Semitism.
‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ is an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic campaign that promotes the ‘Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions’ movement, whose leaders and activists routinely reject the two-state solution and deny Israel’s right to exist. I oppose and condemn both IAW and BDS.
The comparison between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa is false and insulting. Jews in Israel are not ‘colonisers’; they are in their own historic national homeland. Israel is a liberal democracy where Arabs can and do vote, are represented in the legislature, and have served as ministers and Supreme Court judges. Moreover, most Israelis want peace with the Palestinians.
There is no justification, therefore, for calling Israel an ‘apartheid state’ or for a sanctions campaign like that against apartheid-era South Africa.
Education is a devolved issue here in Scotland, and so it is for the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood to consider how best to address anti-Semitism in Scottish universities. It is important that we maintain free speech at our universities, and while it must be possible to criticise the Israeli Government on university campuses, it must also be possible for pro-Israel and Jewish students to express their views without fear of abuse or harassment.