EXCLUSIVE: Angus Robertson faces SNP fury over Israel meeting in leaked letter

Angus Robertson is under renewed pressure from within his own party over his meeting with an Israeli ambassador, a leaked letter reveals.

In a furious letter seen by Holyrood, it is claimed that the Scottish Government’s Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary has “undermined” MP colleagues’ work over the conflict in Gaza.

Robertson met Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky in Edinburgh last week.

The meeting came after more than 10 months of violence in Gaza, with the territory subjected to prolonged siege following the Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

There was an angry backlash to the meeting after Grudsky shared an image of the pair online, leading to open criticism from some within the SNP, with questions raised by current and former ministers.

The row led First Minister John Swinney to make a statement defending the meeting, saying it had been “necessary to outline our long-standing position on an immediate ceasefire directly, and explicitly, to one of Israel's representatives in the UK”.

“The Scottish Government received the meeting request and accepted on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region,” Swinney said.

But a letter to Robertson from his Westminster party colleague Brendan O’Hara reveals the strength of opposition within the SNP.

In a two-page message seen by Holyrood, the SNP’s Middle East spokesman condemns the talks, saying: “I simply cannot fathom why, with such well-documented breaches of International Humanitarian Law and with an ongoing investigation by the ICC [International Criminal Court] into crime of genocide against Israel, that the Scottish Government thought it politically ... or morally... appropriate to engage in discussion about future cooperation in the fields of technology, culture, and renewable energy with a representative of this regime.

“In my opinion, no such discussions should be taking place with a government who is responsible for causing such unfathomable pain and suffering.”

Previously the SNP's Commons spokesperson for defence, O’Hara is one of nine MPs returned for the party in the general election. A source told Holyrood the group is in agreement with his message, which follows public commentary on the matter by SNP figures.

Sources say Robertson, a former SNP Westminster leader, is facing internal pressure to step down.

Sandra White, a former SNP MSP, called for an emergency motion to be tabled on the matter at the party’s conference later this month and, in an X post shared by serving Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee, former transport minister Kevin Stewart said he hoped Robertson had “castigated” the Israeli Defence Force “for bombing hospitals and schools” and told Grudsky “that Israel should comply with all of the UN resolutions that have been passed over decades”.

MSPs Emma Roddick, Elena Whitham and James Dornan have also expressed concern over the matter, while colleague John Mason said he too had met the Israeli delegation.

The Scottish Government has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Scottish Parliament backed that in a vote in November, and £250,000 was given to UNWRA for aid in the region under former first minister Humza Yousaf, whose relatives were initially caught up in the conflict.

Commenting on the meeting, the Scottish Government said: “Following the criminal and far-right acts we have seen in parts of England and Northern Ireland, the Cabinet Secretary emphasised the Scottish Government’s continued work with Police Scotland to protect Scotland’s faith communities and tackle all hate crimes, including antisemitism, head on.

“Mr Robertson reiterated the Scottish Government’s position in calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the opening of safe routes to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza.”

But in his letter, Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber MP O’Hara said the meeting would act to “lend legitimacy” to Benyamin Netanyahu’s government and undermined actions taken by the SNP thus far, including by his group in Westminster.

SNP MPs tabled an opposition day debate on a ceasefire in February in an action which pushed Labour to do the same. A total of 56 Labour MPs backed the SNP’s motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in the rebellion that followed and the matter dominated the headlines.

O’Hara said Robertson had “completely undermined the months of diligent hard work”, saying: “Almost alone in that parliament we have pushed and scrutinised the action of the UK government. We were the ones who first called for an immediate ceasefire. It was the SNP who first described Israel's actions as ‘ethnic cleansing’. It was the SNP who those millions of people across these islands, who believe passionately in human rights and International Law, looked to, to be their voice. It was the SNP who stood with the Palestinian people in their time of greatest need, when so many other either chose to, or were bullied into, remaining silent.

“I fear all of that has been undone by the decision of the Scottish Government to meet with the deputy Israeli ambassador, and thereby normalise relations with a government whose actions could never be described as ‘normal’.”

This afternoon SNP national secretary Lorna Finn said: “Disappointment doesn't begin to cover how I feel about a minister and backbench MSP from my party meeting Israel's depute ambassador. In the midst of a genocide it is unconscionable and lends legitimacy to the action's of Netenyahu's government.”

Responding to the letter, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the first minister made clear earlier this week, the Scottish Government accepted a meeting request from the Israeli UK deputy ambassador on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“This position was made directly, and explicitly, by the cabinet secretary for external affairs during the meeting. 

“The Scottish Government remains committed to an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, an end to UK arms sales to Israel and will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region.”