THE Scottish Government has said it will not meet with Israel again until “real progress has been made towards peace”.
It comes as Angus Robertson issued a statement as he faced criticism from within his own party for meeting with a senior Israeli diplomat.
The Scottish External Affairs Secretary said he felt the meeting was an “opportunity to express the Scottish Government’s clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”.
Robertson (below) added that it was not intended to be seen as a meeting which “legitimised the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza”.
The statement added: "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.
"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.
"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 Scottish Government does not support any normalisation of its relations with the Israeli Government during this period.
"The Scottish Government will never hold back in expressing support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to UK arms being sent to Israel, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within a two-state solution.”
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 40,000 since the beginning of Israel’s bombardment of the territory, officials have said.
Israel’s offensive has wounded more than 92,000 people while more than 85% have been displaced, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
Around 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes, fleeing multiple times across the territory to escape ground offensives.
It has also led to a humanitarian crisis, with the risk of famine high while sanitation systems have also been destroyed.
In May, the International Criminal Court also announced it was seeking an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant as well as two other key Hamas figures.
It put Netanyahu in the company of Vladimir Putin, who the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for over the war on Ukraine.
