Ousted SNP MSP John Mason refuses to apologise for 'deeply offensive' Gaza comments

An ousted SNP MSP has vowed he will not apologise for his “deeply offensive and hugely inaccurate” comments on the ongoing war in Gaza.

Glasgow Shettleston MSP John Mason had the whip removed over the weekend after he said Israel is not carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

He has now refused to back away from his comments, saying in a radio interview he “stands by” his tweet.

Last week, 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.”

Since 7 October, over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.

When asked today by BBC Good Morning Scotland if he would apologise, and 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.

“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.

“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.”

This comes after both Mr Mason and External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson met with Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky last week.

Daniela Grudsky met Angus Robertson in Edinburgh. | Daniela Grudsky

Her visit has sparked widespread anger within the party, with Mr Robertson now facing calls to be sacked from the Scottish cabinet.

Mr McKee has also defended Mr Robertson for the meeting, saying it was a chance to discuss “genocide charges, arrest warrants for her bosses, the illegal settlements in the West Bank and the intention to expand these settlements, the thousands of Palestinians detained in Israel detention camps and being tortured and raped, and calls for a ceasefire in the region and humanitarian corridors to be opened up”.

He added: “Many people in the party are angry about the situation, but we are clear this meeting was to hold Israel to account and show our continued opposition to their behaviour and their potential genocide.”

So far Mr Robertson has not publicly commented on the meeting with Ms Grudsky.

Over the weekend the First Minister 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 family was 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.

Ms El-Nakla told The Courier she hopes these talks will mean there are no future meetings with the government of Israel.

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This also comes as the Scottish Greens table a parliamentary motion to criticise the meeting that took place between Mr Robertson and Ms Grudsky, and to confirm the Scottish Parliament has no intention of developing closer ties with Israel.

The party has already demanded that both Mr Robertson and First Minister John Swinney apologise for the meeting, and to take steps to end government grants and contracts to companies they say are “complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestine”.

The motion will be in the name of Green co-leader Patrick Harvie.

Mr Harvie said: “It is totally inappropriate for the Scottish Government to host a meeting with a senior representative for a government that is inflicting genocide.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie. Image: Andrew Milligan/Press Association.

“This was an astonishing misjudgement and it’s essential that the First Minister acknowledges that.

“It is unacceptable for any politician to lend legitimacy to those that are inflicting war crimes, but that’s exactly what the Scottish Government did when it chose to host a senior Israeli diplomat to discuss ‘unique commonalities’ and have a senior minister posing for photos with her.”

He added: “I hope that MSPs from across the chamber will join me in demanding answers and in calling for the government to apologise for the meeting and to confirm that they have no intention of developing a closer relationship with Israel while it is committing such atrocities.” 

Mr Harvie also criticised the government he left four months ago for not ending “all support for companies profiting from the destruction of Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank”.

The Glasgow MSP added: “Time and again, they have failed to take action.”