Politics
Scottish government says it won’t meet Israeli officials
Statement comes as SNP MSP is suspended from party for saying Israel isn’t committing genocide
August 19, 2024 16:12
Statement comes as SNP MSP is suspended from party for saying Israel isn’t committing genocide
August 19, 2024 16:12The Scottish government will not hold any further meetings with Israeli officials, according to an official statement.
Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture said that, “Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken direct to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our position on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate to accept any invitation for a further meeting.
“This will remain our position until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes."
He went on,“The Scottish government does not support any normalisation of its relations with the Israeli government during this period.
“The Scottish government will never hold back in expressing support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to UK arms being sent to Israel, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within a two-state solution.”
Last week, Robertson came under criticism for meeting Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK.
The JC reported that the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture’s decision to meet with Daniela Grudsky faced criticism and was called “Absolutely shameful and bordering on complicity” by a Green MSP.
Although Robertson defended his decision to meet Grudsky, he said he didn’t want to appear to endorse the actions of Israel’s government: “No one intended that this meeting be presented as legitimatising the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. The Scottish Government has been consistent in our unequivocal condemnation of the atrocities we have witnessed in Gaza.
“The reality, however, is that this meeting has been taken by many to represent a normalisation of relations between the Israeli and Scottish Governments.
“As such, it is clear that it would have been better to ensure that the meeting was strictly limited to the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the appalling loss of life in the region. I apologise for the fact that this did not happen.”
The statement comes after a Scottish National Party (SNP) MSP was suspended for denying that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
John Mason, a backbencher who represents Glasgow Shettleston in the Scottish Parliament posted on X/Twitter on Friday night that “Israel cannot be considered guilty of genocide either. If they wanted to commit genocide, they could have killed 10 times as many Palestinians as they have. Remember it is Iran/Hamas which wants Israel wiped off the map.”
Following confirmation that the SNP whip had been withdrawn from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, a spokesperson for the SNP Chief Whip told the JC: "To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.
"The Chief Whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary Group due process.
"The SNP Group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment."