Robertson said in a statement that the Sottish government stands at present against all forms of normalization with the government of Israel.
Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson announced on Monday that his government has suspended all forms of meetings with Israeli ambassadors until “real progress” is achieved in peace talks and unrestricted humanitarian aid flow to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Robertson said in a statement that the Sottish government stands at present against all forms of normalization with the government of Israel and it will not pursue any further meetings with Israeli representatives until real progress is made in the peace talks.
“This will remain our position until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes,” the statement read.
Does Any Other Country besides Israel have the Right to Defend Itself?
The latest development came after fierce backlash by the Scottish National Party (SNP) of Robertson’s meeting with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Britain, Daniela Grudsky, about two weeks ago.
Robertson denied that the meeting with Grudsky was intended in any way to normalize relations with Israel and given she requested the meeting, he stated that it was “an opportunity to express the Scottish government’s clear and unwavering position” on core issues such as “the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”
He admitted though that the agenda of the meeting with Israel’s deputy ambassador should have been strictly limited to voicing his government’s demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and extended his apologies that this was not the case.
“Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken direct 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,” Robertson added following the uproar instigated by the meeting.
#Scotland's #SNP member apologized for meeting with the Israeli envoy and tried to explain himself for not making the meeting strictly about a ceasefire in #Gaza. https://t.co/AmZzecHowH
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 20, 2024
The Scottish Minister reaffirmed his government’s position for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to Britain’s arms sale to Israel, the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution, and the release of all hostages.
The First Minister of Scotland John Swinney came to the defense of Robertson in a post on his account on X.
“I understand why some believe a face-to-face meeting was not appropriate, however, I thought it necessary to outline our long-standing position on an immediate ceasefire directly, and explicitly, to one of Israel’s representatives in the UK,” he wrote.
The Sottish government’s decision of halting all meetings with the Jewish state was hailed by former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf who shared Robertson’s statement on his X account.
“He has clearly listened and reflected on the anger and upset in relation to his meeting with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador, and apologized. Crucially, he has made it clear there can not be normal relations with the government of Israel,” Yousaf wrote.
Yousaf had warned in April when he was in office that Britain could be in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians if it does not stop its arms sale to Israel.
🧵 An important statement from @AngusRobertson
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 Govt of Israel. pic.twitter.com/SSrljoWzHa
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) August 19, 2024
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,173 Palestinians have been killed, and 92,857 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(Anadolu, PC)
