SCOTTISH Palestine Solidarity Campaign@scottish_psc has launched a new Scotland-wide interactive map spotlighting 120+ Apartheid Free Zones, including @govanhillapartheidfreezone.
Cafés, shops, unions, musicians, community groups and organisations standing in solidarity with Palestine.
These spaces have pledged to support the BDS movement, boycott companies complicit in Israeli apartheid, and build anti-racist, ethical communities rooted in justice.
From local workplaces to cultural hubs, AFZs show that while governments stall, people are taking action. An act of solidarity forming a powerful, growing network of hope and resistance across Scotland.
Explore the map: www.apartheidfree.scot� Not listed yet? Businesses and organisations are invited to join and help grow the movement.
The Jewish Council of Scotland response to Apartheid Free Zones in Scotland campaign
The Jewish Council of Scotland (JCoS) is alarmed at the announcement reported in yesterday’s media of the Apartheid Free Zones in Scotland campaign – launched by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which aims to achieve a boycott of Israel across Scotland in support of the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The strident hatred and intimidation associated with this movement has a profound effect on Jews living in Scotland, and with ever increasing incidents of antisemitic behaviour towards the Jewish population this activity is of significant concern to us.
JCoS believes the impact of this campaign will build on the fear created by the so-called Leith ‘Zionist Free Zone’ in Edinburgh, which many Jews in Leith regarded as targeting them, regardless of their personal views on Israel.
“Our concern is that Jewish people in Scotland will be branded as racist”, says Timothy Lovat, Chair of JCoS. “This campaign does nothing to attack racism and promote racial equality in Scotland.”
UK government takes urgent action to tackle antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS
Steps taken to end scourge of antisemitism in the health service
Lord John Mann to lead rapid review into how healthcare regulators tackle antisemitism and racism
Mandatory antiracism training to be rolled out to all NHS staff
The Prime Minister has ordered an urgent review of antisemitism and all forms of racism in the NHS, as part of wider efforts to tackle discrimination in the health service.
Following recent incidents of antisemitism from doctors which drew stark attention to problems of culture and the regulation in the health system, Lord John Mann will lead the review, looking at how to protect patients and staff from racism and hold perpetrators to account.
At the same time, the government announced the immediate rollout of strengthened mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training across the health service, and NHSE will review its uniform guidance so patients and staff always feel respected in NHS settings.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The discrimination staff and patients have faced because of their race or religion goes against everything our country stands for.
“The NHS was built on the principle that everyone should be treated equally and with respect, and I am determined to restore this to the heart of the health service.
“That’s why I have asked Lord Mann to root out this problem and ensure perpetrators are always held to account.”
Today’s announcement builds on wider efforts across government to stamp out behaviour that seeks to divide and spread hate across the whole of society, following the horrific terrorist attack on Heaton Park Synagogue earlier this month.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: ”The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it – regardless of income, race, or religion. Discrimination undermines everything our health service stands for, and undermines its ability to provide quality care.
“I have been appalled by recent incidents of antisemitism by NHS doctors, and I will not tolerate it. There can be no place in our NHS for doctors or staff continuing to practise after even persistently using antisemitic or hateful language.
“Patients put their lives in the hands of healthcare professionals. They treat us at our most vulnerable. They therefore have a special responsibility to provide total comfort and confidence.
“I am grateful to Lord Mann for taking on this work. I expect his recommendations, and the action we are taking today, to help us enforce a zero tolerance policy to racism in healthcare.”
Lord John Mann said: “The NHS and the health sector pride themselves on being welcoming, inclusive and professional in dealings with every one of us, as we are all patients at different times and in different ways throughout our entire life.
“Everyone in the country should be confident in these underlying principles at all times.
“This review will look at the issues that can undermine the confidence of individuals when seeking or receiving healthcare.
“Ensuring that the systems and culture of regulation across the health service match, at all times, the universal principles and ethics that underpin our NHS will be the sole focus of this work.”
Recently, shocking examples have raised concerns about the operation and efficiency of independent healthcare professional regulators, some of which have been slow to crack down and investigate incidents of hate.
Lord Mann’s review will examine how the regulatory system for healthcare professionals tackles antisemitism and other forms of racism at every stage, from employment through to professional oversight.
It will also look at regulatory processes, transparency in investigations, reporting mechanisms, and how zero-tolerance policies can be more effectively implemented across the health service.
At the same time, all 1.5 million NHS staff will be required to complete updated mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training, with existing equality, diversity and human rights programmes being expanded to include:
Enhanced content on discrimination and antisemitism
New assessment questions to test understanding
Training developed with equality and antisemitism subject matter experts
Content aligned to core skills training framework
Staff will be asked to refresh their training immediately when the updated content becomes available shortly, rather than waiting for the standard three-year cycle.
The government is also asking NHS England will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and set clear expectations that every Trust, Integrated Care Board, and arms-length body does the same. The government is also reviewing the recommendations of the independent working group on Islamophobia.
NHS England is reviewing the uniform and workwear guidance last updated in 2020, in light of recent successful approaches rolled out at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS England will engage stakeholders on its proposals and issue new guidance shortly. The guidance will protect freedom of religious expression while ensuring patients feel respected at all times. The guidance will not impact staff’s freedom to protest and speak out on political issues, but it will ensure that the political views of staff do not impact on patient care.
Andrew Gilbert, Vice President for Security, Resilience and Cohesion, Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “We welcome the new measures announced today to tackle antisemitism within the NHS, particularly the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, a much needed review on regulators led by Lord Mann and an expansion of effective antisemitism training.
“For much of the last two years, Jewish staff and patients have felt let down by the NHS while antisemitism has been allowed to flourish and thrive with hospitals, medical schools and other health spaces becoming unwelcoming for Jews.
“The government’s plans are a step towards addressing these urgent issues that will make the NHS a safer place for Jews to work and receive care, however, these changes should be seen as a spring board for further changes and not a ‘fix-all’ with issues remaining on the classification of Jews as an ethnicity, the lack of repercussions of medical staff accused of antisemitism and health inequalities in the Jewish community.”
Claudia Mendoza, CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), said: “Antisemitism in the NHS has been out of control. We have seen doctors describe hospitals as cesspits of “Jewish supremacy” and praise Hamas as “legends”, with the regulators and tribunals not taking substantive action.
“It is vital that Jewish patients are able to trust that their healthcare providers will treat them without prejudice. This continued lack of action has severely undermined trust.
“The government’s announcements today including the introduction of mandatory antisemitism training and the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism encouraged across the health service, are a welcome first step but must be the first of many.
“Most importantly, we must see swift action as a result of Lord Mann’s urgent review into how healthcare regulators tackle antisemitism.”
Lord Mann will report to the Health Secretary, with practical recommendations to strengthen protections against antisemitism and other forms of racism in healthcare.
Patient safety is a priority for this government and the bedrock of an NHS that is fit for the future – that includes ensuring that the NHS is completely free from racism.
The Jewish Medical Association (JMA) said: “For the past two years the Jewish Medical Association has become increasingly concerned about blatant expressions of antisemitism – simply anti-Jewish racism – that have become widely tolerated across healthcare. British Jewish healthcare students, professionals and patients find this profoundly distressing and intimidating.
“The JMA welcomes Lord Mann’s review of the role of regulators in eliminating this toxic culture for Jews.
“We have long called for IHRA definition adoption, for effective mandatory training for staff in the NHS, regulators and other key players to combat antisemitism, and for implementation of uniform policy, all to help make healthcare a prejudice-free, politics-free environment.”
Daniel Carmel-Brown, CEO of Jewish Care, said: “Jewish Care welcomes the government’s commitment to tackling antisemitism and racism across the NHS and wider society. These measures send a powerful message that hatred and discrimination have no place in healthcare or anywhere else.
“Adopting the IHRA definition, enhancing training, and strengthening oversight are important steps towards ensuring that Jewish patients, staff, and communities feel safe, respected, and valued.
“We look forward to working with government and partners to help build a health service and a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
Professor Habib Naqvi, Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: “Tackling antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism involves clear communication of a zero-tolerance stance, implementing systemic changes, and creating a supportive environment for all employees.
“That’s why we fully support roll out of the comprehensive measures announced today by the government. Our diverse workforce is the backbone of the NHS. It must be cared for, celebrated and respected for the outstanding care that it provides.
“At the same time, our patients, colleagues and communities need to be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. No one should be subjected to discrimination or abuse of any kind, within or outside of the workplace.”
Jacob Lant, Chief Executive of National Voices, said: “Being anti-racist is not about making grand statements, it is about taking consistent action to end discrimination and inequity.
“What the Prime Minister has set out today is an important commitment to action in the NHS, using the levers of training and regulation to build a health and care workforce that is committed to ending racism.
“This can help our sector not just challenge overt racist acts, like violence and intimidation, but also address the underlying systemic issues which means our Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities continue to experience some of the worst access, experiences and outcomes from healthcare.”
First Minister John Swinney has said unity must prevail to ensure long-lasting peace is secured in the Middle East.
His words come as the world prepares to remember all those who lost their lives during the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, and those who have died in the violence that has followed.
Reflecting on the two-year anniversary, Mr Swinney said this year will be even more distressing for Scotland’s Jewish communities following the attacks at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
First Minister John Swinney said: “As we mark the second anniversary of the heinous attacks, we must always remember that 7 October resulted in the worst single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.
“Our Jewish communities remain extremely traumatised by these attacks – and the events that have followed – and I know that this year will be even more emotionally distressing after the horrific attack carried out at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
“It was an attack made all the more cruel for being perpetrated on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, and my thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and with Jewish communities across the United Kingdom.
“As we mourn all those who have lost their lives since 7 October, we must stand united in defiance of violent division. We must respond to the devastating conflict occurring across the Middle East by showing that long lasting peace is the only solution.
“We must see an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is the only way to stop death and displacement, violence and fear, unrest and division. Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live safely side by side, with long-lasting peace, prosperity, and security.
“Events in the Middle East cannot ever justify antisemitism, prejudice or any acts of violence. All of Scotland’s communities must feel safe and protected.
“Scotland’s diversity and our inclusive outlook is one of our greatest strengths. All of our communities are equally integral, valued and permanent parts of our national life – their members are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues.
“In remembering all those who lost their lives on 7 October and since, we do so in equal condemnation of all forms of terror and violence.”
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, spoke at a vigil for the victims of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall:
Friends, we must stand together today.
We must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance.
Grief – for the innocent lives that were taken so cruelly.
Senseless murders carried out on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year.
Grief that causes so much pain, so much suffering.
Today our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers must be with the families of those who were killed.
And of course with this Jewish community, both here in Manchester at the Heaton Park Synagogue and right across our nation.
And as the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, I know that suffering in Crumpsall is the same as the pain and the worry on the frightened faces in my own constituency, in Stamford Hill.
In that sense the London and Manchester communities are twin communities, grieving as one.
And, us, the whole nation – with them.
That’s why we stand in solidarity – with the Jewish people.
Because an attack like this is never felt alone.
Wherever they are in our country, Jewish people, our friends, our neighbours, our loved ones, are terrified by the events of yesterday.
Of becoming targets, victims of antisemitic hate, simply for who they are.
But I know this about Britain’s Jewish community:
A community I have known all of my life.
You are strong, you are resilient, you will never be cowed.
And I want you to know today, that your country, those of all colours, all faiths and none, stand with you.
We stand with you against terrorism.
We stand with you against those who think bombs and blasts will break us.
And we stand against all those who would minimise, coddle or obfuscate on anti-Jewish hate.
We know terrorism in this country. We know it in this city, we saw it at the Arena.
And now we have seen it in Heaton Park.
We all know terrorism. We all feel terrorism. I lost my childhood best friend, James Adams who was blown to smithereens on the 7/7 bombings.
And I vow to you, every Christian, Muslim, Jew, every Mancunian, every Brit, we will never stop fighting it.
That’s why we stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us.
Who want to pit neighbour against neighbour, to weaken the bonds that bind us together.
As one nation, one people, one United Kingdom, we cannot, we must not let them divide us.
On days like today, we must show who we really are, not what they want us to believe.
But Britain’s true nature: A tolerant nation, built on mutual respect, common understanding, where people live not in fear, but in freedom.
That is who we are, that is who we will always be and it cannot be eroded by violence.
It cannot be erased by vile acts such as those carried out here yesterday.
I want to close with this thought: When I have lost loved ones in the past, Jewish friends have often used a phrase to comfort me: ‘May their memory be a blessing.’
Nothing will ever take away the pain of what happened here.
But how we respond now, how we stand together, yes, in grief and in solidarity, but also in defiance and a shared mission: Against terror, in the name of us all.
That response honours those we have lost.
May their memory be a blessing.
Not just to their families, not just to the Jewish community, but to our entire nation.
Always.
And for those that are considering marching over the weekend:
I ask them to reflect with all human dignity, grace and understanding, to stop and to stand back.
Attack on Heaton Hebrew Congregation: Statement from Timothy Lovat, Chair, Jewish Council of Scotland, Henry Lovat, President, Glasgow Jewish Representative Council and Matthew Shaps, Chair, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation (written 2nd October 2025, following the conclusion of Yom Kippur):
“We are devastated by the terrorist attack that took place this morning at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, on Yom Kippur.
The victims, their families, and the entire Manchester Jewish community are in our thoughts and prayers during this time of profound grief and fear.
This awful attack is a tragic reminder of the manner in which hatred and intolerance towards Jewish people – whether put explicitly as such or directed (nominally) at “Zionists” or other euphemisms – can translate into deadly acts of violence aimed at our community.
Sentiments of concern and condolence from those whose words and conduct have previously increased rather than addressed the fears of our community, will inevitably ring hollow.
Rather, to be meaningful any words of concern must now be matched by substantive action to confront and combat antisemitism in all its forms.
Anti-Jewish sentiment and communal fears in the UK have been stoked by our political leaders’ use of inflammatory and irresponsible language about the ongoing, tragic conflict in Israel and Gaza.
With this in mind, we call on political and community leaders across Scotland to act urgently to stop fanning the flames of hatred, and – once again – to work with and alongside, rather than vilifying and alienating, the Jewish community of Scotland, to support rather than undermine community cohesion across our nation.
We thank Police Scotland for their continued engagement with and support for Jewish communities across Scotland at this extremely fraught juncture.
Last, we would once again urge all members of the community attending synagogues or other community premises to follow all instructions from police and security, and in particular not to congregate outside communal premises and to keep doors closed at all times.”
TWO people are dead and three more are in hospital with serious injuries following an attack on a synagogue in Manchester yesterday.
In a statement this morning, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed the identities of the two victims: ‘Two members of our Jewish community who sadly died as a result of the incident at Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue yesterday have been named as Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz – our thoughts remain with their families at this difficult time.’
A man, who has now been named as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, drove a car at members of the public before stabbing people. He was shot dead by police at the scene.
The incident at Heaton Park synagogue, classified by police as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
It’s understood that three more people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
The UK’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, says the attack is the “tragic result of an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred”.
Sacha Deshmukh, CE Amnesty International UK said: “Amnesty International UK is deeply saddened by the news of this morning’s attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester.
“We condemn this horrific act of violence that has taken the lives of two innocent people and injured many more. Our hearts are with the Jewish community and all those affected by this appalling attack on such an important and holy day in the Jewish calendar.
“Acts of violence have no place in our society and only deepen division among communities. It is essential that politicians, leaders and the media ensure their actions in the following days do not stoke hatred and division further.
“We must focus on the solidarity and humanity that connects us all.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “This was a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews. Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again.
This was a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews.
Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again.
To every Jewish person in this country: I promise that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the… pic.twitter.com/DAd9OaGNMc
“To every Jewish person in this country: I promise that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security you deserve.”
First Minister John Swinney @JohnSwinney visited Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation to reiterate Scotland’s solidarity with our Jewish Community following the attack at The Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester.
The First Minister also received a security briefing from the UK Government.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood:
Neil Lal, Chairman and President of The Indian Council of Scotland and United Kingdom, has announced a special interfaith prayer vigil in honour of the victims and in solidarity with the Jewish community.
Condemning the attack in the strongest possible terms, Mr. Lal said: “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the horrific attack on the synagogue in Manchester. That such a violent act could occur on Yom Kippur — a sacred day of prayer and reflection — is especially painful.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the entire Jewish community, both here in the UK and around the world. We stand with you, united against hatred and violence.”
“The upcoming vigil, which will bring together members of Indian, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, and wider interfaith communities, aims to send a clear message of unity and resilience in the face of division and hate.
“This is not just an attack on a single community — it is an attack on all of us who believe in tolerance, peace, and religious freedom,” Mr. Lal added. “Our vigil/prayers will honour the victims, and reaffirm our shared commitment to harmony, respect, and solidarity across faiths.”
Mr. Lal, a prominent leader of the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom and a long-standing advocate for interfaith unity, has called on community members and leaders across the UK to stand together in condemning acts of hate and reaffirming the nation’s core values of inclusion and mutual respect.
He is also calling for robust action from the authorities/communities to protect all places of worship and ensure that those responsible for this hateful act are swiftly brought to justice.
Neil Lal will be writing to the PM to offer his full support and for meeting to bring all faiths together against any from of hate such as anti semitissm and looking at solutions in protective security measures for all places of worship.
‘IS OUR SAFETY REALLY A PRICE WORTH PAYING FOR THIS KIND OF GESTURE POLITICS?‘
Scotland Against Antisemitismhas delivered an open letter to First Minister John Swinney, warning that the Scottish Government’s recent announcement on Israel risks inflaming antisemitism and further endangering Scotland’s Jewish community.
The letter has already gathered almost 3000 signatures, including lawyers, politicians, educators, clergy, students, and concerned citizens across Scotland and beyond, with numbers continuing to rise.
Scotland’s Jewish community numbers around just 5,000 people — 0.093% of the population — yet were victims of 17% of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year. The letter warns that language from government risks legitimising this hostility, emboldening extremists, and deepening the isolation of Jewish Scots.
Leah Benoz, Founder and Director of Scotland Against Antisemitism, said: “The Scottish Governmenthas no power over foreign policy, and the proposed funding cuts are tiny and will have no effect on events in the Middle East.
“Not one Palestinian life will be saved by these measures, but Jewish life in Scotland will be put further at risk. Our question to Mr Swinney is simple; is our safety really a price worth paying for this kind of gesture politics?”
The letter calls on the government to:
• Retract inflammatory language, particularly around “genocide”
• Engage with the Jewish community in Scotland
• Commit to concrete measures to protect Jewish safety
THE LETTER READS:
Dear First Minister Swinney,
We at Scotland Against Antisemitism write with grave concern following yesterday’s announcement from the Scottish Government regarding Israel.
As you are no doubt aware, our small and increasingly vulnerable community is living in an extraordinarily hostile environment, one that has only worsened since October 7th. We number around 5,000 people, just 0.093% of Scotland’s population, yet we were the victims of approximately 17% of all religiously motivated hate crimes last year. That figure alone should be a matter of national shame.
The human suffering in Gaza is real and cannot be understated, nor is it our intention to do so. But we must be absolutely clear with you about the real-world impact of the measures your government has announced.
The accusation of genocide is one of the gravest under international law. It requires an exceptional standard of proof that can only be met in a court of law by producing irrefutable evidence of intent. Neither viral propaganda nor the claims of discredited UN figures such as Francesca Albanese, who denies proven sexual atrocities and is accused of misrepresenting her legal credentials, or Tom Fletcher, author of the immediately debunked “14,000 dead babies” allegation, are sufficient. For the Scottish Government to endorse this modern-day blood libel will not save a single innocent life in Gaza, but it will embolden those who now use the language of genocide to justify the harassment and intimidation of Jews here in Scotland.
The Scottish Government holds no power over foreign policy and no meaningful influence over the State of Israel. The decision to pull a tiny amount of funding from a handful of commercial projects will not impact the Israeli government or change the course of the war. In short, the only people this announcement will materially affect are Scottish Jews who are already under siege.
We believe, with sorrow and outrage, that this decision was made to appease a small, extremist, and increasingly aggressive fringe of the activist class,a group whose support is being courted for political reasons. It appears the government has calculated that the cost of alienating Scotland’s Jews will be outweighed by electoral rewards.
But in the very week that yet more members of our community are leaving Scotland for Israel out of fear, we ask you plainly:
Is our safety really a price worth paying?
We call on the Scottish Government to retract its inflammatory language and meet with the Jewish community to discuss how the government plans to protect us — not just in words, but in action.
Today Community Security Trust (CST) publishes the Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023, which shows that last year CST recorded 4,103 anti-Jewish hate incidents across the UK, by far the largest-ever total recorded in this country.
This is an increase of 147% from the 1,662 incidents recorded in 2022 and is 81% higher than the previous record total of 2,261 incidents in 2021.
68 antisemetic incidents were reported in Scotland in 2023 – DOUBLE the count for 2022.
CST says it is almost entirely due to the massive surge of antisemitism following the 7 October Hamas terror attack on Israel.
The Woolf Institute estimate there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets for every Jewish person in the UK
Analysis of data by the Woolf Institute, a global leader on interfaith relations, is presented in a new report by the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust, which marks the end of an 18-month research programme to study the extent and nature of antisemitism online.
The report presents an estimate of the level of antisemitism on Twitter in the UK and based on research methods used, Woolf Institute analysis concludes there are between 100 and 1,350 explicitly antisemitic tweets every day in the UK.
The findings estimate that there are up to 495,000 explicitly antisemitic tweets per year made viewable for UK users (tweets in English by and available to UK users). Given the size of the UK’s Jewish population at around 290,000 people, the report calculates there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets annually for every Jewish person in the UK.
The Antisemitism Policy Trust, supported by the Community Security Trust, commissioned the Woolf Institute to explore anti-Jewish hatred on Google, Instagram and Twitter, and this publication represents the third and final instalment of that project.
The two previous reports found that Google’s public facing Safesearch facility has no impact on the amount of antisemitic content that is returned when people search for jokes about Jews.
Antisemitism is also extensive on Instagram, associated with a “chaotic” trolling phenomenon on the platform, and demonstrates strong links to conspiracy theories and anti-Israel attitudes.
Danny Stone MBE, Chief Executive, Antisemitism Policy Trust, says: “Policies to deal with online abuse aren’t worth the paper they’re written on if companies cannot effectively enforce them.
“This new report makes it crystal clear that Twitter’s systems for discovering and acting against anti-Jewish racism still aren’t good enough. As the Government considers new internet safety laws, I hope this report will weigh heavily on Minister’s minds.”
Dr. Dave Rich, Director of Policy, Community Security Trust, says: “It has long been known that social media is the engine of modern antisemitism, and it increasingly features in the antisemitic incidents that are reported to CST.
“This new research not only demonstrates how widespread this is, but also shows exactly how the social media companies are failing to control the problem of anti-Jewish hatred on their platforms.”
Commenting on the overall findings, Dr Julian Hargreaves, Director of Research at the Woolf Institute, who has led the project, said: “Taken together, this series identifies and underlines that antisemitism persists on major social media platforms, and that either the tools for addressing it are not fit-for-purpose, or the public policies professed by the world’s leading social media giants are at best, poorly enforced and at worst, are completely ineffectual.
“Our reports identify that the systems – be they Safesearch, algorithms, or automated moderation are not doing their job. If antisemitism online and within our societies is to be effectively tackled and reduced, we will need platforms, in this instance acting as agents of harm, to better understand and to act upon what the evidence is clearly telling them.”
Using social media data analysis tools, the team were able to identify biographical and geographical characteristics of Twitter users posting tweets which matched the antisemitism research terms.
The top 10 geographical locations were London, Manchester, Redcar, Liverpool, Glasgow, Brighton, north-west Leicestershire, Oxford, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
Launched: Scotland’s Apartheid Free Zones Map 
Explore the map: www.apartheidfree.scot�
Not listed yet? Businesses and organisations are invited to join and help grow the movement.
