THE Scottish Government External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson has issued a statement and apology after his widely criticised meeting last week with Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK Daniela Grudsky.
The meeting was not publicised at the time but came to light several days later after the deputy ambassador's office posted about it on social media.
In the post, the deputy ambassador thanked Robertson for the meeting and said that the pair had "discussed the unique commonalities Israel and Scotland and also emphasized the urgent need to bring back our 115 hostages."
It went on, "Looking forward to cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy."
READ MORE: Angus Robertson hits back as BBC presenter repeatedly interrupts during interview
The meeting came at a time when Israel is being widely criticised around the world for its brutal assault on Gaza which has so far caused the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, the great majority of whom are innocent civilians.
An estimated 10,000 are missing, many of whom are thought to be buried under the rubble of the devastated territory where over half of the residential buildings have been destroyed. There are numerous well documented instances of Israeli armed forces committing war crimes against the civilian population of Gaza, aid workers, and press reporters.
Gaza's health sewage, water, and education system are in ruins, and the civilian population has been forced to flee multiple times.
Most civilians have now been herded into overcrowded and hastily thrown-up tent encampments in a so-called safe zone where they subsist amongst sewage and rubbish. Disease due to the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions stalks the traumatised populace whose miseries are compounded by the continuing Israeli blockade which has created severe shortages of food, water, and essential medical supplies. Aid organisations describe the situation as catastrophic.
Many feel that the disproportionate response of Israel to the attack against Israel by Hamas on October 7 last year - which was rightly condemned as a war crime - amounts not just to a war crime, but to attempted genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.
It is an attempt to render the territory uninhabitable and to force the Palestinian population into exile.
No matter how heinous the war crimes committed by Hamas on October 7 might have been, that does not give Israel the right to commit war crimes in retaliation.
These Israeli war crimes are compounded by the belief that the Israeli Prime Minister, the deeply corrupt Benjamin Netanyahu, is not serious about seeking an end to the conflict but wants to extend it as long as possible in order to avoid prosecution for his corruption and an investigation into his negligence in the lead up to the Hamas attacks of October 7.
In his statement, Robertson did not apologise for having the meeting with Grudsky, but he apologised for discussing issues other than the call for an immediate ceasefire, which allowed the Israeli embassy to issue a self-congratulatory social media statement giving the impression that relations with Israel have been normalised and that the Scottish Government has no concerns about Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
In the statement, he said: “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.
“Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken direct [sic] to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our position on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate to accept any invitation for a further meeting.”
Former first minister Humza Yousaf welcomed the apology, saying on social media: “An important statement from Angus Robertson. He has clearly listened and reflected on the anger and upset in relation to his meeting with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador, and apologised. Crucially, he has made it clear there can not be normal relations with the Government of Israel.”
This morning Robertson faced a hostile interview on BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland during which he was repeatedly interrupted by the host Laura Maxwell and was forced on several occasions to tell her to allow him to finish his sentence.
The grilling Robertson received by BBC Scotland over his meeting with Grudsky stands in stark contrast to the silence from BBC Scotland over meetings held by the Labour government with Israel.
In July, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announced that trade talks would be reopened with Israel, leading to accusations that the UK was "rewarding Israel for its war crimes".
READ MORE: Scottish Government won't meet with Israel until 'real progress made towards peace'
The talks were hailed by Scotland Secretary Ian Murray who said: "Trade talks resuming between the UK Government and our global business partners is great news for Scotland.
"Brand Scotland means selling our country and all the amazing things we have to offer to the world and that is exactly what we intend to do."
There was a distinct lack of criticism from BBC Scotland, far less any attempt to press the Labour party in Scotland to clarify its position on the issue.
There was similar radio silence from BBC Scotland when, prior to the general election, Labour figures including Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie met with Nick Chaffey, the CEO for the UK, Europe and Middle East operations of Northrop Grumman, a world-leading manufacturer of machines that kill people, and a major exporter of those machines to Israel, including many components for both the F-35 and F-16 warplanes.
But it's only the SNP that needs to be held to account, the Labour Party, the Saviours of the Union, get a free pass for their hypocrisy.
This piece is an extract from today’s REAL Scottish Politics newsletter, which is emailed out at 7pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Wee Ginger Dug.
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