Surrounded by pro-Palestinian stalls on all sides, a handful of pro-Israel individuals meet every Saturday on Buchanan Street to spread their pro-peace message.
Amelie Botbol
By Amelie Botbol, JNS
Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, Buchanan Street, a thoroughfare located in Glasgow’s main pedestrian shopping area, has become the scene of a raging battle of ideas.
There, surrounded by pro-Palestinian stalls on all sides, replete with PLO flags and free Korans, a handful of pro-Israel Jews, as well as non-Jews, meet every Saturday to spread their pro-peace message.
“Nine years ago I set up this stall with Sammy Stein, the chairman of Glasgow Friends of Israel,” Matthew Berlow, a criminal lawyer, told JNS this week.
An anti-Israel stall on Buchanan street in Glasgow, Scotland, Aug. 17, 2024. Credit: Amelie Botbol.
“We believed that there was too much anti-Israel propaganda and thought to go out onto the street to combat the lies being told and at the same time promote a message of co-existence,” he continued.
“We come in contact with lots of people who have preconceived notions about the situation in the Middle East, and we engage them,” he added.
Despite a surge of antisemitism in Europe following Oct. 7, Berlow remains defiant.
“I work in a field where I deal with dangerous people all of the time. Nothing scares me. I also spend a lot of time in Israel. I was not afraid during the Second Intifada, I refused to change what I was doing, I would jump on and off buses everywhere,” he said.
“We feel that we are doing something good, we’ve engaged with thousands of people over the years so it must have had an impact,” he added.
Tom Stein (in yellow vest) mans the Glasgow Friends of Israel’s stall, Aug. 17, 2024. Credit: Amelie Botbol.
Tom Stein, also a veteran of the stall, traced the roots of the initiative back nine years, to when an Israeli selling Dead Sea products was hounded by Palestinians at a nearby shopping center and could therefore not conduct any business.
“It was needed because there was a lot of pro-Palestinian rhetoric in Scotland but nothing from the Israeli side. We talk about peace, the other stalls spew anti-Israel propaganda,” Stein told JNS.
The stall is generally manned by up to 12 volunteers and attracts dozens of people every Saturday. Leaflets filled with information on Israel and coexistence-related initiatives are distributed to the public.
As JNS queried the squad of volunteers, two women wearing the traditional Islamic headscarf were drawn to the stall, which is adorned with Israeli flags. They were from the United Arab Emirates and interacted with the volunteers in a friendly manner for a few minutes before continuing on their way.
Two other people, both draped in keffiyehs and one carrying a handbag etched with the word “resistance,” also briefly stopped by, to voice their support for the Palestinians.
Palestinian flags flying in central Glasgow, Aug. 17, 2024. Credit: Amelie Botbol.
Fiona McLeod has been volunteering at the stall for years. This Saturday, she came with a poster of of Shani Louk, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and who became the symbol of the Palestinians’ weaponization of sexual violence when her lifeless body was paraded through Gaza.
“We’ve got posters of all the hostages. I often pick Shani because of what she went through. I’ve seen a lot of people look at her, even the haters. It’s very powerful,” McLeod told JNS.
Louk’s body was retrieved from Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces in May.
Since Oct. 7, McLeod, who is not Jewish, has been writing letters to families of hostages as well as Israeli soldiers.
“I have written 487 letters since Oct. 7. My connection to the Jewish people is a spiritual one, not one of DNA,” she said.
McLeod explained that her father was stationed in British Mandatory Palestine and befriended some English-speaking Jews, which fostered her connection to Israel.
“When he came home, he looked for a church that would observe the Sabbath and align with Judaism and he found one. My sister and I still continue that tradition. If he was alive today, he would be here doing what he could as well,” she said.
Shay Laverty, 17, is the group’s youngest volunteer. Also non-Jewish, he began participating only a few weeks ago after walking by the stall.
“On Oct. 7, Israel was attacked and responded by trying to eliminate the threat of Hamas. I hope people come by and we can educate them to support Israel and support peace,” Laverty told JNS.
He noted that the presence of the stall warms the hearts of Israeli and Jewish passersby, and that despite intimidation attempts and the occasional antisemitic rant, he has continued to come.
Since Oct. 7, more Scottish people have decided to embrace the Jewish community and even the Jewish faith, according to Mendel Jacobs, the only locally-born rabbi currently living in Scotland.
“I have had non-Jewish people who came to me and wanted to convert. I think Oct. 7 has opened people’s eyes to the truth of what is going on with regards to the misrepresentation and misinformation about Israel and the Jewish people,” Jacobs told JNS on Monday. “There are at the moment six or seven people who are actively exploring the idea of converting to Judaism.”
Roughly 5,000 Jews live in Scotland, and Jews have been part of its history for 300 years.
“During the Second World War, Scotland was always a peaceful place for Jewish people to live and in general that’s still the case,” Jacobs said.
“I think the stall is a great thing. To try and promote all sides, educationally and for PR purposes, these things are good,” he added.
Nicola Livingstone, chair of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, explained that while the stall was initiated by Glasgow Friends of Israel, her organization does support it.
“We represent all Jewish people in Scotland, whatever their views are. We have met with the Scottish parliament, local politicians and interfaith leaders to discuss Judaism and the effect of antisemitism here,” Livingstone told JNS on Monday.
“Both on the street and at meetings with officials, it’s important to educate people,” she added.
Edward Sutherland is another veteran of the Buchanan St. stall, having volunteered for eight years.
“We’ve had very mixed responses but it has definitely been busier since Oct. 7. A lot more people are saying they support us and that what happened is appalling,” Sutherland told JNS.
Asked whether there is communication with the pro-Palestinian stalls on either sides of the street, he recounted how one man is currently being tried for aggressive behavior following complaints to the police.
“He came here one day with two huge Palestinian flags, one in each hand, and started ranting that we killed his brothers, sisters and mother, and demanding that Jews get out of Israel. He also threatened to sort us out but that never happened,” said Sutherland.
“There have been several occasions where police have charged people but either prosecutors didn’t bother to pursue or it just hasn’t gone anywhere,” he continued.
“It makes the police reluctant to take action because they know they are not supported from above,” he added.
While the pro-peace initiative receives support from most parts of the community, some are afraid to get involved.
“Even advocating for peace is a problematic message for some people. The people in other stalls don’t want to talk about peace, they are not interested,” said Sutherland. “I would love to engage with a group that cares more about Palestinians than they care about hating Israel. I have not found one yet.”