Answers to Quora Questions by Yair Davidiy (29 August 2017, 7 Elul, 5777)
Why are so many Scottish people pro-Palestinian?
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-so-many-Scottish-people-pro-Palestinian/answer/Yair-Davidiy-1
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1st Answer since deleted by Quora.
The Scottish and Irish once believed themselves to be descended from Israelites or at least to have originally kept the Laws of Moses. The Gaels of Scotland and the Milesians of Ireland are of the same stock. We are told that:
# "It is stated in very old copies of The Book of Invasions and other ancient documents that it was the Mosaic law that the Milesians brought into Errin [i.e. Ireland] at their coming; that it had been learned and received from Moses in Egypt by Cae Cain Beathach, who was himself an Israelite, who had been sent into Egypt to learn the language of that country by the great master Fenius Farsaith, from whom the Milesian brothers, who conquered Errin, are recorded to have been the twenty second generation in descent; and it is stated in the preface to Seanchas Mord that this was the law of Errin at the time of the coming of St. Patrick". # Source: LOUIS HYMAN, "The Jews of Ireland", Published jointly by the Jewish Historical Society of England, London and Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem, Israel, 1972, p.1
Donald A. Mackenzie, in "Scottish Folf Lore and Folk Life. Studies in Race, Culture, and Tradition", U.K., 1935, ch.1, gives much evidence of people in Scotland attempting to keep the food taboos against pig meat and the like.
A Norwegian source "Historia Norwegiae," from the 1200s mentions a group in the Orkney Islands whom it says practised Judaism.
Sir Walter Scott ("The Fortunes of Nigel"): "Sir Munko cannot abide pork, no more than the King's most sacred majesty, or my Lord Duke Lennox, nor Lord Dalgarno... But the Scots never eat pork strange that! Some folk think they are a sort of Jews."
J.G.Dalyell (1691):
"Why do Scotchmen hate swine's flesh?".... "They might borrow it of the Jews"...
John Toland (1714):
"You know how considerable a part of the British inhabitants are the undoubted offspring of the Jews and how many worthy prelates of this same stock, not to speak of Lords and commoners, may at this time make an illustrious figure among us.... A great number of 'em fled to Scotland which is the reason so many in that part of the Island have a remarkable aversion to pork and black puddings to this day, not to insist on some other resemblances easily observable.."
According to a letter received from Duncan Long even the Jewish aversion against mixing milk and meat was followed by some until very recently.
In the past there was very little anti-Jewish sentiment in Scotland though some did exist. The Scotts were proud of never having persecuted the Jewish People.
Over the course of time many of the best Scotsmen were killed in wars, or emigrated to Northern Ireland, North America, or elsewhere. Some remained. The Scots were once renowned for their intellect. Today they are not. Something may have changed. According to the Media the Scotts of today are noted for dwelling in the most violent section of the British Isles, preferring slums to normal habitations, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, watching the BBC, and being plagued by enormous hosts of small insects they call "midges." Under such circumstances clear thinking ceases to be a prerequisite. Addled thought becomes common. The poor bewildered tormented folk will believe anything the Media tells them. The Media tells them to be pro-Palestinian and against Israel. Why therefore should they not be? The BBC tells them that the Israelis are not nice people. Why should they not believe it?
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Second (Newly) Expurgated Answer.
The Scottish and Irish once believed themselves to be descended from Israelites or at least to have originally kept the Laws of Moses. The Gaels of Scotland and the Milesians of Ireland are of the same stock. Concerning Ireland, we are told that:
# "It is stated in very old copies of The Book of Invasions and other ancient documents that it was the Mosaic law that the Milesians brought into Errin [i.e. Ireland] at their coming; that it had been learned and received from Moses in Egypt by Cae Cain Beathach, who was himself an Israelite, who had been sent into Egypt to learn the language of that country by the great master Fenius Farsaith, from whom the Milesian brothers, who conquered Errin, are recorded to have been the twenty second generation in descent; and it is stated in the preface to Seanchas Mord that this was the law of Errin at the time of the coming of St. Patrick". # Source: LOUIS HYMAN, "The Jews of Ireland", Published jointly by the Jewish Historical Society of England, London and Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem, Israel, 1972, p.1
A Norwegian source "Historia Norwegiae," from the 1200s mentions a group in the Scottish Orkney Islands whom it says practiced Judaism.
Donald A. Mackenzie, in "Scottish Folf Lore and Folk Life. Studies in Race, Culture, and Tradition", U.K., 1935, ch.1, gives much evidence of people in Scotland attempting to keep the food taboos against pig meat and the like.
Sir Walter Scott ("The Fortunes of Nigel"):
"Sir Munko cannot abide pork, no more than the King's most sacred majesty, or my Lord Duke Lennox, nor Lord Dalgarno... But the Scots never eat pork strange that! Some folk think they are a sort of Jews."
J.G.Dalyell (1691):
"Why do Scotchmen hate swine's flesh?".... "They might borrow it of the Jews"...
John Toland (1714):
"You know how considerable a part of the British inhabitants are the undoubted offspring of the Jews and how many worthy prelates of this same stock, not to speak of Lords and commoners, may at this time make an illustrious figure among us.... A great number of 'em fled to Scotland which is the reason so many in that part of the Island have a remarkable aversion to pork and black puddings to this day, not to insist on some other resemblances easily observable.."
According to a letter received from Duncan Long even the Jewish aversion against mixing milk and meat was followed by some until very recently.
In the past there was very little anti-Jewish sentiment in Scotland though some did exist. The Scotts were proud of never having persecuted the Jewish People.
Over the course of time many of the best Scotsmen were killed in wars, or emigrated to Northern Ireland, North America, or elsewhere. Some remained. The Scots were once renowned for their intellect. Today they are not. Something may have changed?