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Scots are uneasy after SNP's landslide

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The Scottish National Party's almost-clean sweep of seats in the country has led to "nervousness" among Scottish Jews, community leaders have said.

The SNP has previously expressed pro-Palestinian views and supported proposals for an arms embargo on Israel. It won 56 of the 59 Scottish constituencies, leaving the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats each with one seat.

Paul Morron, Glasgow Jewish Representative Council president, said: "There is a level of nervousness that the SNP may be more emboldened in their pro-Palestinian approach.

"While I congratulate Nicola Sturgeon and her party on their victory in Scotland, and the Jewish community will continue to work closely with the government, we would remind them that their responsibility is to work with all communities equally."

Ephraim Borowski, Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) director, said his organisation was worried by the SNP's Israel policy.

"There is no question that these kind of pronouncements make Scottish people feel more uneasy," he said.

"Because they are in effect saying that our aunts and sisters in Ashkelon or Beersheva aren't allowed to defend themselves."

Many of the MPs who lost their seats to SNP challengers were leading figures in Labour Friends of Israel, including defeated Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy and the retired Tom Harris. LFI officer Michael McCann was also trounced in East Kilbride.

The group's chair Anne McGuire did not stand and key ally Ed Balls lost his seat in Leeds.

Mr Morron said: "The Jewish community has lost some very good friends of the community."

But he predicted that the swing to the SNP would not bring another independence referendum. "I think the time for that would be in a year, if the SNP do extremely well in the Scottish elections."

Read our full Election 2015 coverage here

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