OUR hearts go out to the victims of yesterday’s attack in Sydney and their families.
It is intolerable that in the current climate of antisemitism, Jews cannot gather publicly or celebrate religious festivals in any part of the world without fear of attack.
The news from Sydney yesterday is also a dreadful reminder of the risks facing our Jewish community here in Scotland. There must be no place for anti-Jewish hate – in any guise – anywhere in Scotland.
We will not be deterred by antisemitism or acts of terror, and we will celebrate Chanukah throughout Scotland.
We are liaising closely with Police Scotland and with the Community Security Trust (CST) to ensure that appropriate police and security arrangements are in place, and we thank them for their continuing support.
We will also continue to engage with the Scottish Government and local authorities to put in place longer-term measures to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in Scotland.
We wish our community and friends across Scotland a happy – and peaceful – Chanukah.
Timothy Lovat, Chair
Jewish Council of Scotland
POLICE SCOTLAND STATEMENT:
Statement from ACC Steve Johnson following terrorist incident in Australia
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “Our thoughts are with the Jewish community, the victims, families, and everyone affected by the incident in Australia.
“Officers are already carrying out additional and dedicated patrols around synagogues and other Jewish venues as part of our existing policing plan for Hanukkah.
“Following the incident, we are actively communicating with faith leaders and community leaders.
“We are also engaging with a wide range of local, national and international partners to ensure our communities are safe.
“While there is no intelligence to suggest any specific threat in Scotland, I want to take this opportunity to ask the public to remain alert but not alarmed. You should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Police Scotland.
“Policing in Scotland has strong relationships with the public and we are grateful for the ongoing support of all our communities.”
