Angus Robertson apologises over diplomat row as Scottish Government suspends meetings with Israel
Angus Robertson has apologised for meeting with an Israeli diplomat after a furious backlash as the Scottish Government said it would suspend meetings with Israel until “real progress is made towards peace in Gaza. The external affairs secretary says he will not accept any further invitations to meet with anyone from the Israeli government, as this could “represent a normalisation of relations”.
Mr Robertson said: “No one intended that this meeting be presented as legitimising the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza.
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Hide Ad“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.
“Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken directly to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our opposition on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate to accept any invitation for a further meeting.”
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Hide AdLast week Mr Robertson was pictured meeting with UK Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky in Edinburgh - Ms Grudsky said the pair “discussed the unique commonalities” between Israel and Scotland, including “cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy”.
Mr Robertson has come under increasing pressure to be sacked from his frontbench government role over the meeting, and a motion to do this is now tabled for discussion at the SNP conference at the end of the month.
A number within the SNP have criticised Mr Robertson in recent days, including the party’s Middle East spokesman Brendan O’Hara MP, who said the meeting undermined the Westminster group’s work in calling for an immediate ceasefire.
He added the Israeli deputy ambassador at requested the meeting, and Mr Robertson assumed the meeting would be around antisemitism concerns.
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Hide AdMr Robertson also said First Minister John Swinney was “made aware” of the meeting in advance, “as is normal practice”.
In his statement he added: “My view was that given the Israeli UK deputy ambassador had requested a meeting it was an opportunity to express the Scottish Government’s clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and I did exactly that.”
He said the Scottish Government will now continue to refuse all requests for meetings by the Israeli Government “until such time as real progress has been made towards peace”, including access to humanitarian aid and Israel cooperating with investigations into genocide and war crimes.
Mr Robertson added: “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.”
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Hide AdOver the weekend First Minister John Swinney held crisis talks on the backlash the meeting has received, including with the wife of former first minister Humza Yousaf.
Councillor Nadia El-Nakla’s parents were trapped in Gaza when the fighting first broke out back in October last year, and she and her husband have repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the region.
The Scottish Greens have since tabled a parliamentary motion to criticise the meeting between Mr Robertson and Ms Grudsky, and to confirm the Scottish Parliament has no intention of developing closer ties with Israel.
Co-leader Patrick Harvie, who is named on the motion, said: “It is totally inappropriate for the Scottish Government to host a meeting with a senior representative for a government that is inflicting genocide.”
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Hide AdThis is not the only turmoil within the party over the conflict in Gaza - John Mason MSP had the SNP whip removed over the weekend after he posted on social media to say Israel is not carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
The Glasgow Shettleston MSP has refused to apologise for his “deeply offensive and hugely inaccurate” comments, saying in a radio interview that he “stands by” his tweet.
Mr Mason posted on X: “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many.”
He then posted on Facebook to say: “I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.”
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Hide AdSince 7 October, over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.
When asked by BBC Good Morning Scotland if he would apologise, he said: “No, absolutely not.
“I completely stand by my tweet, making the point that this is not genocide that is happening.
“If we look at other examples of genocide historically, it’s nothing like what is happening in Gaza.
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Hide Ad“If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they could have killed a lot more people.
“There is no suggestion from Israel that they want to destroy Palestine or the people of Gaza.”
Instead he added that both Iran and Hamas have previously said they want “Israel wiped off the map”, suggesting they both want to commit genocide in Israel but are not able to.
Mr Mason added: “Sometimes you have to do the right thing and take the consequences.
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Hide Ad“The reality is the SNP is pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, but there are some within the SNP, as there are in Labour and other parties, who are more sympathetic to Israel and want to tone things down to get peace talks.”
Mr Mason’s comments on Monday morning have already been heavily criticised by senior figures within the SNP.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: “John’s comments are deeply offensive, hugely inaccurate and not in line with the values of the SNP or the position the party takes on the current conflict in the Middle East.
“The party was right to remove the whip.
“John should educate himself and read the United Nations’ definition of genocide and read the work by the International Court of Human Justice who believe there is a case to answer against Israel.”
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