THE Scottish Conservatives have called on the SNP to end their power sharing deal with the Greens over the party’s support for Palestine.
Maggie Chapman, the Scottish Greens MSP for the North East, caused a social media storm on Sunday when she tweeted that Hamas’s attacks on Israel were a result of “apartheid” and the country’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
Jackson Carlaw , the MSP for Eastwood in East Renfrewshire which is home to Scotland’s largest Jewish community, has written to the First Minister calling on him to end the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens over the tweet.
He warned Humza Yousaf, who has family through his wife living in Gaza, that a failure to condemn Chapman’s comments would lead to him being “deemed an apologist for antisemitism”.
Chapman wrote: “What’s happening in #Palestine is a consequence of #apartheid, of illegal occupation [and] of imperial aggression by the Israel state.
“Palestinian civilians have seen their homes destroyed, their water stolen [and] their land appropriated illegally.”
Chapman's tweet was viewed three million times and sparked thousands of responses.
Her views were echoed in a leader column in the respected Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should bear sole responsibility for the attacks.
The publication blamed a “military and intelligence failure” on his watch and said Palestinian aggression should have been expected because of his Government’s policies towards the occupied territories.
'Ethnic cleansing in Palestine'
The paper’s editorial board said: “After [Netanyahu’s] victory in the last election, he replaced this caution with the policy of a ‘fully-right government’, with overt steps taken to annex the West Bank, to carry out ethnic cleansing in parts of the Oslo-defined Area C, including the Hebron Hills and the Jordan Valley.
“This also included a massive expansion of settlements and bolstering of the Jewish presence on Temple Mount, near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as boasts of an impending peace deal with the Saudis in which the Palestinians would get nothing, with open talk of a ‘second Nakba’ in his governing coalition.
“As expected, signs of an outbreak of hostilities began in the West Bank, where Palestinians started feeling the heavier hand of the Israeli occupier.”
Tories say Greens are 'extremists'
In a letter to the FM, Carlaw said: “I would like to ask you if you agree with the comments made by Maggie Chapman and if they reflect the current position of the SNP-Green Government.
“If not, and given the brutality of Hamas’s actions, will you dismiss Green ministers from the Scottish Government and terminate the Bute House Agreement because appearing to excuse the actions of Hamas should be unacceptable for any party in Scotland, especially given their recent terrorist attacks.”
In a statement to the press, Carlaw (above) added: “This post doesn’t come in isolation – her colleagues regularly post or like messages that are grossly offensive to Jews, while the Greens’ refusal to sign up to the IHRA definition of antisemitism tells you all you need to know about their extremism.
“But Maggie Chapman’s comments are so unacceptable that Humza Yousaf must end the toxic Bute House Agreement and kick the Greens out of his government. If not, he will be deemed an apologist for antisemitism.
“Angus Robertson, like every right-minded person, has condemned Hamas’ actions, so we can only assume he is uncomfortable being in government with a party which refuses to view Hamas as a terrorist organisation.”
Carlaw also called for Chapman (below) to be dismissed from her role as the deputy convenor of the equalities and human rights committee.
Gaza is under “complete siege” from Israel as of Monday morning and the death toll has been reported to be more than 1000 people on both sides since Saturday.
Hamas has taken civilian hostages and bombed non-military targets including a music festival.
The Israeli military has launched devastating strikes on densely-populated Gaza, with defence minister Yoav Gallant calling Hamas “human animals”, warning the military was “acting accordingly”.
Hamas has said it launched its surprise attacks on Israel in response to its ongoing occupation and the “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
Israel officially disengaged from Gaza in 2005 but the region is still considered to be under occupation by the UN.
Ross Greer, the Scottish Greens' external affairs spokesperson, said: “Deliberately massacring innocent civilians is a war crime and an act of pure evil. We condemn Hamas without hesitation.
“Palestinians have the right under international law to resist the Israeli occupation by force, but Hamas fighters murdering young people at a music festival and kidnapping wheelchair-bound pensioners is no act of resistance.
“Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine must be recognised as the root cause of these cycles of violence and both Hamas and the Israeli Government held to account for the war crimes they have committed.
"There is no military solution that does not consign thousands more innocent people, Palestinian and Israeli, to their deaths. The only path to peace starts with Israel ending its siege of Gaza and the occupation of all Palestinian territory.
“Half of the population of the Gaza Strip are children, so it is critical that a ceasefire is reached before Israel follows through on the threats issued by its military and political leaders."
A spokesperson for the First Minister said: "The First Minister will reply to Jackson Carlaw, but it's crass to reduce the horrendous situation unfolding in the Middle East to our domestic politics in Scotland.
"Maggie Chapman speaks only for herself. The First Minister speaks for the Scottish Government and we are clear the terrorist acts of Hamas are unjustifiable, inexcusable, and we condemn them."
The SNP declined to comment.
