Jews in Scotland are more likely to be attacked because of their faith than Muslims or Christians, a report has revealed.
Figures published by the Scottish Government showed there were 27 criminal charges relating to attacks on Jewish people between April 2012 and March this year. The figure compares to 14 charges in the previous 12 months.
The Muslim community, which is seven times the size of the Jewish community, saw 80 charges relating to Islamophobia.
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) said the report was evidence of an “undeniable trend” of hostility, in which Jews were 20 times more likely to face religious hatred than Christians, and several times more likely than Muslims.
Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, is to meet Jewish leaders to discuss the figures. He said he backed a zero tolerance approach to hate crime.
Ephraim Borowski, SCoJeC director, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s seriousness about tackling religious hatred, and we just wish that it was shared by other agencies such as trades unions and the church.”
