HOLYROOD’S MSPs have been urged to pass a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and add to international pressure.
While the Scottish Parliament does not have powers over foreign policy or defence, it did previously hold a debate on the Iraq war in 2003.
The SNP’s John Swinney accused the UK and US governments of being determined to push ahead with war, with the then Labour administration forced to defend Westminster’s position.
Jonathon Shafi, a campaigner with the Stop the War coalition, said the move would show Scotland stands “full square” behind a ceasefire in Gaza.
Speaking on this week’s Holyrood Weekly podcast, Shafi also spoke against the crackdown on civil liberties in the UK as protests supporting Palestine saw crackdowns and were described as “hate marches” by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
“Back in 2003 Holyrood passed a resolution in Parliament, bearing in mind of course, it doesn't have power over foreign policy matters and defence, it did pass a resolution supporting the military action and the invasion of Iraq under Tony Blair,” Shafi said.
“I think the next step in Scotland is to urgently bring a resolution to the Scottish Parliament for formal ratification that the Scottish Parliament stands full square behind a ceasefire.
“I think it would add to the pressure, and I think it's the next phase that Humza’s leadership should undertake when it comes to what's going on in Gaza.”
Shafi pointed to how “head spinning” a situation it was that Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf had family who were trapped in Gaza when the conflict erupted. On Friday, Yousaf confirmed that his in-laws, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, had managed to flee via the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
The campaigner added that the Westminster leadership seemed “completely oblivious” to the situation and “don’t seem to register it”.
He added: “They don't want to talk about it. They certainly don't want to talk to him about it, we know that that's no on the record.
“And that tells us one story about the calibre of these people when it comes to their moral compass.”
Yousaf did thank the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office for assisting with his in-laws' escape, but in the early days of the conflict revealed that he had not been contacted by either the Prime Minister or Foreign Secretary.
There have also been a number of protests in Scottish cities, London and across the UK demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Westminster to act.
However, the Home Secretary has instead criticised the protests, and on Friday joined Rishi Sunak in denouncing a potential pro-Palestine protest on Armistice Day.
And the Metropolitan Police vowed to crack down on any protests supporting Palestine over Remembrance weekend.
Braverman previously urged officers to take a “zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism” after describing protests in support of Palestine as “hate marches”.
Shafi added: “I think there will always be an attempt to try and ignore or in other ways suppress voices of people who are speaking out.
“We've not seen anything like this in terms of the response to these demonstrations and protests. There are people losing their jobs, there are people afraid to write columns on the matter, this is not healthy.”
He criticised the tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of London being “tarred with the same brush, as being some kind of hate mongers”.
“The best answer to the likes of the UK Government on this kind of question is to broaden the movement, is to broaden and deepen the number of people that are involved,” he added.
“And as I say, you don't get much broader if you've got a spectrum that includes both Stop the War Coalition and the editorial board of the Financial Times.”
In an editorial, the Financial Times newspaper joined calls for a ceasefire and condemned the “collective punishment” of Palestinians.
Stop the War Glasgow is set to hold a demonstration on Saturday November 4 where they will march to BBC Scotland's offices.
