The Scottish Government Has Suspended Meetings With Israel
The Scottish government has announced that it will not meet with Israeli diplomats until “real progress” is made in peace talks over the Gaza crisis.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson met with Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky, prompting criticism of the SNP administration.
Mr. Robertson expressed regret that the discussion was not “strictly limited” to talks regarding a ceasefire.
He stated that the administration would not accept further invitations from Israel unless “real progress” had been made toward peace, humanitarian assistance, and Israel’s “full cooperation with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.”
Many SNP figures, who have been harshly critical of Israel’s actions in the Middle East, reacted negatively to the meeting.
However, following the uproar last week, First Minister John Swinney defended the in-person meeting in an online statement.
He recognized that some felt a meeting was “inappropriate,” but he maintained his choice to accept the Israeli request.
Mr. Robertson stated that the meeting was not an attempt to legitimise the Israeli government’s conduct in Gaza.
“The Scottish government has been consistent in our unequivocal condemnation of the atrocities we have witnessed in Gaza,” added the deputy prime minister.
The meeting between the Israeli and Scottish governments has been interpreted as a normalization of relations. It would have been better if the meeting focused solely on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the region’s tragic loss of life. I’m sorry that this did not happen.”
He stated that it would be “inappropriate to accept any invitation” to future discussions until “real progress has been made towards peace.”
The apology follows remarks about the conflict by SNP MSP John Mason, who stated on X that there was “no genocide” in Gaza.
Mr Mason was suspended from the party’s Holyrood group, but has stated that he “completely” stands by his comments.
He told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that the situation in Gaza was “nothing like” prior cases of genocide.
Humanitarian Aid
Mr Robertson spoke with Ms Grudsky on August 8, but the Scottish government did not release a statement until four days later.
The statement cited areas of “mutual interest” between Scotland and Israel and stated that Mr Robertson had “reiterated the Scottish government’s position in calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides”.
It specified that he had requested “the unconditional release of all hostages and the opening of safe routes to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza” .
A spokeswoman has now stated that the delay in making the meeting public was at the request of the Israeli Embassy for “security grounds”.
In his apology, Mr. Robertson stated that it was his decision to attend the meeting, which Israel had asked for, but that the first minister was informed beforehand.
The minister for foreign affairs responded: “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.”
However, SNP figures, including former ministers Emma Roddick, Kevin Stewart, and Elena Whitham, criticized the decision to hold the gathering.
Mr. Robertson stated that it was critical for a country like Scotland, “where we are aspiring to have an independent state,” to maintain diplomatic connections and lay out any disagreements “when we are in dialogue with countries we are in disagreement with.”.
Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, welcomed the apologies for the diplomatic incident, calling it “clearly an astonishing error of judgment.”
“Holding a meeting of this kind with the state of Israel at this time looks like normalising acts of genocide,” the prime minister stated.
“It is critical that the Scottish government admit that having such a meeting was a significant error.
“But I want this to be about more than the optics of a single meeting; I want it to be about a change of practice.”
He encouraged the Scottish government not to provide financial assistance to arms businesses that sold weapons to Israel or were “complicit in illegal settlements.“.
A spokesman for the Israel Embassy previously told BBC Scotland News that it was the responsibility of foreign ambassadors to engage and build contacts “as part of the longstanding and positive relationship between Israel and the UK.”.
They stated that they were “resolute in fulfilling our duty to represent the state of Israel.”.
Last year, Mr. Robertson faced similar criticism after some SNP members believed he should have taken a harder stance on China.
