Scottish Greens table motion over Angus Robertson 'Israel' meeting
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A secret meeting between the SNP Government and the Israeli deputy ambassador was “shameless” and “two-faced”, say the Scottish Greens.
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Angus Robertson (R) with Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky Ekstein (L), on August 8, 2024 (Social media/X)
The Scottish Government is under pressure to clarify its stance on strengthening ties with "Israel" following a contentious meeting between an SNP minister and an Israeli diplomat.
A secret meeting between the SNP Government and the Israeli deputy ambassador was “shameless” and “two-faced”, the Scottish Greens said in a statement.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson is being urged to issue an apology for holding the meeting, which has caused tension within his party.
The Scottish Greens have submitted a parliamentary motion calling on Robertson to apologize for the private meeting held on August 8 with "Israel’s" deputy ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky Ekstein.
Details of the meeting were concealed for four days, reportedly at the request of the Israeli embassy, which cited security reasons, The National reported.
Meeting 300 days into genocide
The Greens’ motion highlights that the meeting occurred "more than three hundred days into "Israel's" ongoing assault on Gaza" and after an international court found "Israel" “guilty of apartheid, racial segregation, illegal occupation, and other crimes under the Geneva Conventions.”
The motion, introduced by co-leader Patrick Harvie, also highlights that the Scottish Government described the conversation between Robertson and the deputy ambassador as addressing “areas of mutual interest.”
It calls on the Scottish Government to apologize and “to confirm to Parliament that the Scottish Government has no intention of developing closer ties to the State of Israel for as long as its actions towards the Palestinian people are in breach of international law”.
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Robertson has faced strong criticism from within his party, notably from foreign affairs spokesperson Brendan O’Hara, who expressed his frustration in a letter to the minister.
The SNP's Westminster group is reportedly frustrated, concerned that Robertson’s actions may jeopardize their efforts to present themselves as advocates for peace in the Middle East within the UK Parliament.
Robertson has also been criticized by senior SNP councilors and several MSPs, including former ministers Elena Whitham and Kevin Stewart.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
