Humza Yousaf has been told he must end the SNP’s coalition with the Scottish Greens now or accept being labelled “an apologist for antisemitism”.
Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw has today written to the First Minister in the wake of “vile comments” from Green MSP Maggie Chapman after Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel, which he says must be the last straw for the “toxic Bute House Agreement”.
Maggie Chapman, who sits on Holyrood’s equalities committee, quote tweeted a pro-Hamas post, and added: “What’s happening in #palestine is a consequence of #apartheid, of illegal occupation & of imperial aggression by the Israel state”.
Jackson Carlaw, the MSP for Eastwood, home to Scotland’s largest Jewish community, said the comments were totally at odds with external affairs secretary Angus Robertson, who has said there was “no justification” for Hamas’ act of “terrorism”.
Mr Carlaw added that the Greens had form in this area – as the only Scottish party who refuse to sign up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism – and that they were “totally unfit to be a party of government”.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood Jackson Carlaw said: “Maggie Chapman’s vile comments in the wake of Hamas’ appalling attack, which has killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, has rightly provoked outrage on social media.
“It lays bare the disgusting bigotry that pollutes the Scottish Greens and makes them totally unfit to be a party of government.
“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.
“It defies belief that Maggie Chapman can hold views as callous and abhorrent as these while serving on the equalities committee. Her position on that committee is now untenable.”
Notes
A copy of Jackson Carlaw’s letter is attached.
Maggie Chapman tweet: https://x.com/MaggieChapman/status/1711061209737265260?s=20
Angus Robertson tweet: https://x.com/AngusRobertson/status/1711042873724973185?s=20
The Scottish Greens called for Hamas leaders to be taken off the international terrorist list. The motion passed at their conference in 2015 stated: ‘We condemn Zionism as a racist ideology based on Jewish supremacy in Palestine, as well as the related ideology of Christian Zionism… We call for the removal of Hamas from the designation as a terrorist organisation, and seek to work with all parties who can contribute to the end of the occupation of Palestine by non-military means… The Scottish Green Party will support the Palestinians' call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, including a boycott of Israeli goods and services and an academic and cultural boycott.’ (Daily Record, 10 October 2015, link)
Patrick Harvie called for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli government, a campaign which has been dubbed antisemitic. Patrick Harvie previously asked the Scottish Government: ‘The minister will be aware that there has also been a call for a wider programme of boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeted at the Israeli Government. The call has been endorsed by global figures, including Desmond Tutu. Some local authorities in Scotland have acted in that respect. Does the Scottish Government support such a stance? Does it support the call for a wider programme of boycotts, divestment and sanctions?’ The American Jewish Committee has called the practice of BDS antisemitic. (Official Report, 5 August 2014, link; American Jewish Committee, 23 September 2019, link).
Lorna Slater tweeted that she didn’t support Israel’s ‘apartheid’ policies. Slater said: ‘I don't support Israel's apartheid policies’. (Twitter, 5 May 2019, link).
Other tweets by Green MSPs on Israel/Palestine: https://x.com/Ross_Greer/status/1705976228258238960?s=20
https://twitter.com/markruskell/status/1401163534482956288
https://twitter.com/MaggieChapman/status/1455875291470045192