- SNP MSP John Mason lost his party whip for downplaying Gaza conflict as “not genocide”
- His suspension follows controversy over SNP’s handling of Israel-Gaza tensions
- Mason now sits as an independent MSP pending internal party review
SNP MSP John Mason has been stripped of his party whip after making “completely unacceptable” social media statements on the conflict in Gaza.
The action comes only days after External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson was spotted standing alongside Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky
.
Many SNP figures are harshly critical of Israel’s actions in the Middle East, and the diplomatic encounter sparked an internal backlash.
Mr Mason said he was “disappointed” by his suspension, which came after he wrote on X that the country’s actions in Gaza did not constitute “genocide”.
A spokeswoman for the SNP Chief Whip stated that dismissing the deaths of almost 40,000 Palestinians is reprehensible. The SNP cannot tolerate such intolerance. Today, the Chief Whip pulled the whip from John Mason MSP, effective immediately, pending internal Parliamentary Group due process.
The statement stated that the SNP Group would now convene to consider the situation, with a suggestion for a fixed-term suspension for what they described as an “utterly abhorrent comment.”
Removing the whip expels Mr Mason from the SNP, forcing him to sit as an independent MSP until it is reinstated.
Following the move, Glasgow Shettleston MSP released a statement on Facebook expressing his desire for regional peace.
The statement admitted that “too many” lives had been lost and that “many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge.
Mr Mason continued: “However, I do not believe that Israel has attempted, perpetrated, or is committing genocide.
“They undoubtedly can kill far more Palestinians than they have. This is not to imply that there haven’t been enough deaths. Iran and Hamas have proclaimed their desire to wipe Israel off the map, which suggests genocide rather than Israel’s actions or words.
On Wednesday, Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, defended Mr Robertson’s in-person meeting with the deputy ambassador on August 8.
According to a spokesman, Mr Robertson “reiterated the Scottish government’s position in calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in Gaza”.
They also stated that the External Affairs Secretary had advocated for “the unconditional release of all hostages and the opening of safe routes to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza.”
However, former minister Kevin Stewart called the gathering a mistake.
The Aberdeen Central MSP wrote on social media, external: “I hope Angus Robertson also demanded an immediate ceasefire, condemned the IDF for bombing hospitals and schools, and told you that Israel should comply with all of the UN Resolutions that have been passed over decades.
Ivan McKee, a current Scottish government minister, reposted that.
John Swinney issued an online statement conceding that some people felt a meeting was “not appropriate”. But he maintained his resolve to accept the Israeli proposal.
The first minister stated that he regarded it as an opportunity to express the Scottish Government’s “consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region.”
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Mr Mason also met with Ms Grudsky, stating that they had a “useful discussion about what Israel hopes to achieve in Gaza”.
He went further: “As UK learnt in Ireland, to achieve peace we must talk to each other…including to people we disagree with.
In response to an extraordinary strike on southern Israel on October 7, the Israeli military launched an operation in Gaza to crush Hamas, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
