A PEACE campaigner has said that the war between Israel and Hamas has highlighted the need for an independent Scotland to work towards international peace.
During a discussion on Michael Russell’s new podcast with The National, Janet Fenton, an organiser with Secure Scotland, said that the approach of the UK Government towards the escalation of violence in Gaza shows the need for more peaceful actors on an international stage.
According to an investigation by OpenDemocracy, the UK Government has “no plans” to suspend arms sales to Israel despite concerns about the country’s military killing civilians in Gaza.
Israel continues to mount attacks in Gaza in response to the Hamas terror attack which killed 1400 Israelis, mostly civilians.
Gaza’s health ministry has said that more than 5500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardments since October 7 – the day of the Hamas attack.
“The one thing that is crystal clear about the situation in Ukraine and consequently the situation that has arisen in the last few weeks in Israel-Palestine is that violence and the use of force is never going to resolve these issues,” said Fenton.
“There have to be other ways. And there are numerous other ways “There are any number of different methods of doing ceasefire. There are all sorts of different ways that it can be negotiated.
“There are all sorts of ways that diplomatic efforts can be made. There are all sorts of ways in which pressure to ensure relief and work with refugees can be conducted.
“We’re not doing any of them and that’s because of the UK Government.
“A Scottish Government [following independence] could do things very, very differently. To me it absolutely underscores the need for independence.”
She added that the presence of nuclear weapons in Scotland contributed to further instability.
“I would like to see Scotland contributing to international peace and security instead of being a launch pad for waging war,” she said.
“We should not have these weapons here. Their existence means a constant possibility of escalation to their use.
“There are people who are doing sensible things. Irish diplomats are trying to put international legislation through to have a political declaration against any use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Think what a difference that would make.
“There’s also a resolution being proposed to insist on ceasefire anywhere within a certain distance of a nuclear facility. Think what a difference that would make.
“At the moment, we’re facing the grave danger of nuclear escalation.”
It comes after First Minister Humza Yousaf held back tears during a statement in the Scottish Parliament where he discussed the plight of his parents-in-law who are currently trapped in Gaza.
He reiterated his calls for an immediate ceasefire and criticised the collective punishment of innocent Palestinians.
You can watch the full episode here or listen to it tomorrow on Spotify.
