The National Jewish Assembly expresses its profound concern over a motion introduced by members of the Scottish National Party and Scottish Green Party calling for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom. This proposal is not only wholly unjustified but represents a fundamental misreading of international law, military ethics, and democratic values.
The IDF is the official military of a democratic ally of the United Kingdom. It is a professional, regulated force operating under the rule of law and the oversight of Israel’s independent judiciary, its legislature, and its vibrant civil society. Like all democracies, Israel has a right – and a duty – to defend its citizens from the persistent threat of terrorism and cross-border violence. The IDF, despite operating in one of the most complex and dangerous environments in the world, maintains protocols and legal structures designed to minimise harm to civilians wherever possible.
To compare the IDF – a state defence force accountable to democratic institutions – with terrorist groups that deliberately target civilians, incite genocide, and reject the very concept of international law is a false equivalence of the highest order. Terrorist groups seek destruction; the IDF seeks defence. The former thrives on chaos; the latter aims to restore order and protect life.
Such a motion, while no doubt born out of deep political disagreement, risks straying into territory that undermines the values we should all be defending – namely, reasoned debate, fair standards, and the distinction between terrorism and legitimate state self-defence. Efforts to paint the IDF with the same brush as non-state armed groups fundamentally distort both the facts on the ground and the nature of international security cooperation.
The NJA calls on the Scottish Parliament to reject this motion outright. The IDF is not, and never has been, a terrorist organisation. It is the military of a sovereign nation that shares with the UK a commitment to democracy, pluralism, and the protection of innocent life.
These are the standards by which we must judge all parties – not through inflammatory rhetoric, but through principled and consistent reasoning.
