Asked about the window display, SCoJeC said images of the type displayed at the Yousaf firm “cause a great deal of distress” to Scottish Jews, with many still mourning those murdered by Hamas.
“It is, of course, entirely in order to express support and sympathy for all civilians caught up in the war, which followed the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and associated terrorists in southern Israel on Oct 7,” the SCoJeC spokesman said.
“However, chants of ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ along with posters, flags and social media posts which depict a single Palestinian state in all of the area ‘from the River [Jordan] to the [Mediterranean] Sea’ are a call for the annihilation of Israel and of the Jewish people, since Israel does not exist outwith that area, and are therefore anti-Semitic.
“As such, they cause a great deal of distress to the vast majority of Jewish people in Scotland, most of whom have close relatives and friends living in Israel, and maybe mourning those who were murdered, and desperate for the return of others kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the carnage of Oct 7.”
The Yousaf & Co accountancy firm has a prominent headquarters in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow and has net assets worth £1.3 million, according to its most recent accounts.
Muzaffar Yousaf, 69, still has “active involvement” in the business, according to its website, while the First Minister’s mother, Shaaista, 67, is listed as the company secretary.
Just a week after the Hamas attacks, both were pictured attending a pro-Palestinian rally in Glasgow, condemning the Israeli response.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
