In his previous constituency, Eastwood, in the heart Glasgow Jewry, he had organised Yom Ha’atzmaut events and an exhibition in Parliament on Israeli achievements. It was important that the voices of all sides were heard on the Middle East.
He described the rise in antisemitism as “perplexing, disturbing, and extremely worrying. After 20 years, public opinion should be going in the direction of greater tolerance – it’s really depressing.
“It’s upsetting that my former party [Labour] seems unable or unwilling to face up to or deal with antisemitism. There is a spectrum of views – opposition to the Israeli government, opposition to Israel itself, and opposition to Jews. The question is how to break the cycle. Getting people to talk respectfully to one another rather than shout is the first step.”
Noting the high number of anti-Israel motions in the Scottish Parliament – 26 about Gaza, with only 4 casting Israel in a positive light – Mr Macintosh said he understood how Jews were hurt when people spoke about Israel in a way they would not about other countries.
But the multi-faith campus housing Glasgow Jewish primary school Calderwood and SCoJeC’s interfaith activities were beacons of hope.
“Thanks to the reputation you’ve built, the future looks more rosy.”
