"I was delighted to be able to introduce Jonathan Arkush to key personnel from the national Church and we were received with great courtesy. We have had some difficulties in recent months over their report Embracing Peace, Working for Justice, regarding the Centenary of the Balfour Declaration, and we made it clear that there is a significant gulf between the Church of Scotland's perceptions and those of the Jewish Community, regarding both the State of Israel and its history. For example, we explained that Zionism is simply asserting the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their own land, and that denying this right, and applying double standards to Israel, amounts to antisemitism. At the same time, we reiterated our support for the two state solution, which the Church of Scotland also shares. With regard to the proposed Dialogue between the Church of Scotland and the Jewish Community, we expressed the hope that this will assist in developing a better understanding of where we differ and where we can agree."