We call upon the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, to tell the Scouting Association he leads, not to expel volunteers who campaign against Zionist support for Israel.

The Scout Association has expelled me, treasurer of the 150th Craigalmond Scout Group, for being affiliated to the Campaign Against Bogus Antisemitism (CABA). My crime? At the request of the 150th Committee, in 2017 I put up an advert on behalf of the Scout Group seeking volunteers for our committee, along with my personal landline phone number as a contact for more information (there was no interest and the advert was taken down after a few months).

A Zionist complained that this was the same number as was used on the CABA Facebook page, published five years later, in 2022!

Although I had never mentioned my politics at the Scouts, I was suspended and after one year, with no interview and no right to respond, expelled. 

I had previously given 10 years service at Scout executive meetings, organising finances and payment for youth leader expenses, fundraising at festivals, preparing and submitting accounts for the Scout group for its charity registration, claiming Gift Aid from parents from HMRC, organising AGMs, Christmas sing-a-longs, etc. I hold the Chief Scout’s award from Bear Grylls.

I am shocked and upset at my treatment. You can read my expulsion letter here. The Scouts appear to be working to the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism which equates criticism of Israel to antisemitism. But Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta writes in my support saying "Pete is in no way anti-Jewish"

Please call upon the Chief Scout to reinstate me and stop the Scouts from witch-hunting anti-racist campaigners for Palestine.

(see the 32-min Resist TV interview of 19.7.23 here) (see Pete's appeal to the Scout Safeguarding Manager here)