Scottish Government 'naive' over Israel meeting, former SNP MSP says

Former MSP Sandra White has accused the Scottish Government of "naivety" over Angus Robertson's meeting with an Israeli diplomat.

Robertson apologised for meeting Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK in Edinburgh after a row over the talks led to calls for his sacking from the within the SNP.

Now SNP members have voted to reaffirm their calls for an immediate ceasefire and end of UK arms sales to Israel during its prolonged siege on Gaza.

Speaking at the party's conference in Edinburgh, White - who sat on the Scottish Parliament's cross-party group on Gaza - wore a Palestinian flag around her shoulders, told of her visits to Palestine and said: "I really couldn't believe the naivety of our party thinking that the Israelis would not use this photo opportunity to say we were talking about various things to put themselves in a good light."

The Edinburgh meeting between Robertson and Daniela Grudksy came to light when the diplomat shared a photo of the pair on social media, saying they had spoken about collaboration on "technology, culture and renewable energy" as well as the release of hostages taken by Hamas-led gunmen in the 7 October terror attack.

The Scottish Government, which condemned the attack, said it had raised the need for a ceasefire during the meeting and Robertson later said: "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."

At conference, delegates approved a resolution from Scots Asians for Independence convenor Qasim Hanif supporting the Scottish Government policy of refusing engagement with the Israeli government until the cessation of hostilities, and calling for an end to UK arms sales to Israel.

Hanif said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu "and his gang of thugs" should be "brought into court to be held accountable for their actions".

Seconding the resolution, former MP Tommy Sheppard said: "I support the right of Israel to exist and I support its right to self-defence but let us be clear, it is not self-defence to systematically bomb civilians in hospitals and refugee camps."

Last year’s conference, which was held in Aberdeen, took place just a week after the onset of the Gaza-Israeli conflict and opened with an emergency resolution on the issue.

In a last-minuste change to the programme, Dundee councillor Nadia El-Nakla, the wife of then first minister Humza Yousaf whose parents were trapped in Gaza at the time, gave an emotional speech before international development minister Christina McKelvie proposed the motion.

McKelvie said at the time: “We are united in our condemnation of terrorist attacks by Hamas, and it must also be made clear that the collective punishment of innocent people is unacceptable.

“There is a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, and it is a matter of urgency that essential supplies are made available.

“It is also important to recognise that many families and communities in Scotland will be affected by the violence in the region. I offer my condolences to everyone who has suffered as a result of this horrific conflict.

“We must be steadfast in our commitment to peace in the region and ensure that no more innocent lives are lost as a result of this conflict.”

El-Nakla’s parents were able to escape Gaza several weeks later, crossing the border into Egypt at the beginning of November.

Weeks later the SNP’s Westminster group used a debate on the King's Speech to force a vote on the violence in a move that split the Labour Party, with almost 70 of its MPs voting with the nationalists despite the party putting forward its own amendment.