Statement from Scotland’s Foreign Secretary
Foreign Secretary to the Government of Scotland, United Kingdom Angus RobertsonDeputy of the Israeli Embassy in London Daniela GrudskyHe issued a written statement following criticism following his meeting with the Scottish government. Robertson stated that this meeting was held in line with the request of the other party and emphasized that the meeting provided the Scottish government with the opportunity to express its clear and unchanging position on “the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”.
Robertson expressed regret that the meeting was not limited to talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, adding: “No one should think that this meeting was intended to legitimise the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza.” Stating that the Scottish government was determined to condemn the atrocities in Gaza in no uncertain terms, Robertson said: “However, the reality is that this meeting was perceived by many as a normalization of relations between the Israeli and Scottish governments.”
Robertson, who stressed that the other side should be informed of Scotland’s position on the immediate ceasefire, stated that it would not be appropriate to accept a new meeting invitation. He continued his views on the matter as follows:
- Until real progress is made towards peace,
- Until unhindered access to humanitarian aid is ensured,
- Until Israel fully cooperates with its international obligations regarding genocide and war crimes,
Robertson, who stated that this stance would continue, said that the Scottish government did not support normalization of relations with the Israeli government at this time. He also emphasized that the Scottish government would support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to the UK’s arms shipments to Israel and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within the framework of the two-state solution.
The Scottish government came under fire after Robertson’s meeting with Israeli diplomat Grudsky.
