Antisemitic Threat in Scotland
"They Messed With the Wrong Mother": Jewish Child Attacked at School on October 7 Anniversary
Scottish journalist's 13-year-old son targeted with antisemitic threats at school on Hamas attack anniversary. Mother vows action as incident highlights rising UK antisemitism concerns.
A highly publicized incident of alleged antisemitic harassment and threats has rocked the community in Scotland after a prominent journalist detailed how her 13-year-old son was targeted at school on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Scottish journalist and political commentator Leah Benoz took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the "shocking case of attack," stating her son had received explicit death threats over his Jewish identity. The incident comes days after two Jewish men were murdered in Manchester, highlighting the severe spike in anti-Jewish incidents across the UK.
"They Messed with the Wrong Mother"
Benoz recounted the harrowing sequence of events in a video that quickly garnered over 42,000 views and thousands of angry comments, including support from Emmy-winning actress Tara Strong.
The ordeal began the day before, when another student "demanded that he give a position on the Israel-Palestine conflict." When the frightened 13-year-old explained his desire for the war to end but his "deep connection to Israel because he's Jewish," the harassment escalated dramatically on October 7.
"My child called me from his high school in Edinburgh to tell me that another child had threatened to stab him in the classroom," Benoz stated.
She detailed how the aggressor, who she believes has been "radicalised at home," allegedly told her son that "all Israelis are terrorists" and that her child was a "terrorist" himself.
Ecosystem of Hate
Benoz linked the school incident to the broader environment of anti-Israel activism in Scotland, noting that students at the University of Edinburgh were simultaneously "calling for an intifada" and chanting in support of beliefs that endorse violence against Jews.
"This child that attacked my son, he's been radicalised at home, he is a product of an ecosystem of hate that has been allowed to fester. We cannot allow this to continue."
She concluded her message with a definitive statement to anti-Zionists and her critics:
"I'm going to take my exceptional child and I'm going to move to Israel and we are going to spend the rest of our lives committed to our homeland."
Police and School Response Awaited
The post generated immediate calls for legal action, with many followers expressing fears that authorities would fail to adequately address the death threat. Benoz confirmed that a police complaint has been filed, and she is currently awaiting a response from law enforcement officials.
While she declined to name the high school to protect her son from further exposure, Benoz vowed to pursue the matter until it is fully handled, concluding her update with a defiant message:
"They messed with the wrong mother."