Scotland must restore its international voice

An abbreviated version was published in The National, February 16th.

1.5 million terrified and starving Palestinians are sheltering in tents in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, after being bombed out of their homes in the north and told by Israel to flee south. Israel is preventing aid from entering Gaza, using starvation as a war weapon which is a war crime. Now it’s preparing to resume the slaughter while the world looks on.  

Answering a question from Kenny MacAskill MP, the UK admitted the RAF has sent 48 military aircraft to Israel since October and has flown 65 spy missions over Gaza from its Cyprus base since December 3rd. The MOD acknowledged that 9 Israeli air force planes have taken off and landed in the UK, including from Glasgow, since the Gaza bombing started.

The UK is currently providing training to 6 Israeli military officers on UK soil. In January, Israeli forces bombed a UK medical charity in Gaza in the ‘safe zone’ of Al-Mawasi, injuring 4 UK doctors. Israeli F-16 jets use equipment made by UK firms BAE Systems and GKN but UK ministers have rejected calls to halt arms sales to Israel.

This activity in support of Israel’s genocide makes the UK complicit. Nicaragua has written to the UK that it’s considering referring it to the ICJ for complicity in genocide.

Meanwhile, Starmer’s Labour has withdrawn support from a candidate who dared to criticise Israel. No member of Labour’s shadow cabinet has backed calls for a ceasefire and an end to the bloodbath that has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians. Labour’s anti-Semitism campaign wasn’t about antisemitism. It was a way to weed out those who opposed Israel’s brutal occupation of and assault against the Palestinians.

In most things, following the money reveals the motivation. Like the US, UK politicians are beholden to powerful pro-Israel lobbyists. Two-fifths of Labour’s shadow cabinet have received money from Labour Friends of Israel. Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) has funded more free overseas trips than any other donor. 9 Tory MPs have accepted donations from CFI since October 7th and in January, it paid for 6 MPs to travel to Israel on a ‘solidarity’ visit, with Greg Smith saying Israel has ‘got to finish the job.’

Not surprisingly, the UK ignored the Scottish Parliament’s vote for an immediate ceasefire back in November.

Scotland’s international voice has been silenced, another consequence of our subservient status within the failing UK. Isn’t it time we found the courage to restore it?