SNP still has serious questions to answer on relationship with Israel
The Scottish Greens have called for the Scottish Government to be transparent about how and when the decision was made to meet with a senior Israeli diplomat.
It comes as the SNP Parliamentary group has suspended one of its MSPs, John Mason, for posting online comments minimising the genocide in Gaza.
Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"The SNP was right to remove the whip from John Mason. His comments were utterly abhorrent. They minimised the scale of suffering and displayed a total ignorance towards the atrocities that are being inflicted every day on the people of Gaza.
“This cannot be the end of the issue. What has happened to John Mason should not distract from the fact that a senior Scottish Government minister met with a senior representative from a state that has been inflicting genocide on the people of Palestine for the last 300 days to pose for photos and discuss their "unique commonalities.”
"Both the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs and the First Minister have very serious questions to answer about when the decision was made, who made it and why. We hope this will be resolved long before the end of recess, but if not we will be demanding an urgent statement while we consider next steps.
"All governments must act against genocide, whether it is the UK government that is arming and supporting Israeli forces or the Scottish Government which has continued to pour public money into the arms companies who are enabling and profiting from the destruction.”
The Scottish Greens have called for an end for all Scottish Government grants for arms companies and end to public contracts for companies profiting from the illegal settlements in the West Bank.