HUMZA Yousaf has issued a clarification after Unionist accounts on X/Twitter shared a doctored tweet purported to be from the former first minister.
On Thursday, Yousaf retweeted a post from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon which expressed outrage and sadness at the death of two UN colleagues who were killed by Israeli missile attacks in the country.
Yousaf said: “The Israeli government is killing children, women, and humanitarian workers in Lebanon, just as they have in Gaza.
“If international law is to be worth the paper it is written on, then there must be accountability, not impunity.”
The Israeli government is killing children, women, and humanitarian workers in Lebanon, just as they have in Gaza.
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) September 24, 2024
If International Law is to be worth the paper it is written on, then there must be accountability, not impunity. https://t.co/jYeAJEBCpX
However, figures on the platform — including one journalist and several Unionist accounts — soon began sharing a screenshot which appeared to show that Yousaf’s tweet had been deleted.
The second sentence of Yousaf’s tweet had also been changed in the screenshot to say “not impunity for the Zionists”.
Yet Yousaf’s tweet had not been deleted or edited.
Indeed, X/Twitter posts which have been edited display an icon to show viewers the changes which were made to the original post.
Yousaf’s tweet remains up and does not display this icon.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar urges UK Government to set up Gaza family visa scheme
Despite this, the screenshot has been shared widely on the platform by accounts such as @ScotNatWatch, @DownWithTheSNP and others who accused Yousaf of antisemitism.
In response, a spokesperson for Yousaf has issued a clarification and criticised the spreading of disinformation.
A spokesperson for Yousaf said: “Those who oppose Humza for standing up against the mass slaughter of innocent men, women and children, have shown their desperation by sharing doctored images to try and impugn his reputation.
“Decent journalists would and should check the validity of any post before sharing it with tens of thousands of followers.
“Humza has made it clear that he will not be silenced, and will continue to speak out about the atrocities we are witnessing in both Gaza and now Lebanon, and no campaign of disinformation will silence him.”
It comes after Yousaf clashed with Twitter owner Elon Musk earlier in the month after Musk shared a video which claimed a new law in Scotland threatened to jail people for seven years if they misgendered someone.
Sharing the video, Musk said: “This is crazy”.
Retweeting Musk, Yousaf replied: “This is bullshit”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel