Daniela GrudskyThe Scottish government has announced it will not hold any more meetings with Israeli ambassadors until “real progress” is made in peace talks over the Gaza conflict.
The SNP administration has faced criticism after External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson met Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky.
Mr Robertson said he was sorry that the meeting was not “strictly limited” to talks about a ceasefire.
He said the government would not accept further invitations from Israel until “real progress” had been made towards peace, on humanitarian assistance and until Israel “co-operates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes”.
The meeting prompted a backlash from many SNP figures who have been highly critical of Israel’s conduct in the Middle East.
But after the fallout last week, First Minister John Swinney defended the face-to-face meeting in a statement posted online.
He acknowledged that some felt a meeting was “not appropriate”, but stood by the decision to accept the Israeli request.
Mr Robertson said the meeting was not an attempt to legitimatise 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,” he said.
“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.”
He said it would “not be appropriate to accept any invitation” for future meetings until “real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel co-operates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes”.
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