Doing the right thing for Gaza would gain the SNP more support

The National

4 days ago

He would quite probably gain much more support, and respect, by simply putting an immediate ban on any trade with Israel, regardless of whether it is, in any shape or form, armament supplies. He should also put an end to the £10 million Scottish Enterprise subsidies to those industries involved in such exports to Israel.
READ MORE: UK Government panned for refusal to address pro-Israel group concerns
These two moves alone would, I'm sure, guarantee a majority vote for the SNP. But with one provision: that the aforementioned trade bans continue until such time as the population of Gaza is recognised as a separate nation and all lands in the West Bank and [[Gaza]] Strip are restored to the people of [[Gaza]].
The Ferret exposé in The National concerning Angus Robertson's meeting with Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky, does little to help Swinney and his government, after 12 months of secrecy of this meeting.
Political transparency is no excuse where Israel is involved. In today's high-technology world of communication, it has been very plain to see what Netanyahu has been advocating against the Gazan people, in particular the Israel Defence Forces' one-sided slaughter of innocent babies, children, women and unarmed men. Even when just queuing for scant food supplies.
READ MORE: UK spy plane flew towards Gaza hours before Labour condemned 'horrors'
The pretext excuse that the IDF were shooting at Hamas individuals does carry not weight anymore. The other excuse from Netanyahu and his government cronies – that criticism of his attacking Gaza and the prevention of aid, food and and water is simply antisemitic – is also a worn-out excuse.
Netanyahu's war is not a religious war. It is purely political, seeking to expand his land while driving out the centuries-held population of those lands who were there long before it ever became the so-called 'promised land'.
So, c'mon [[John Swinney]]. You have turned around Scotland with a modest success since you became First Minister. If you wish to remain so for another five years, then join the rest of the world, forget Westminster, and do the right thing for [[Gaza]].
READ MORE: SNP MPs in call for full UK arms embargo on Israel
And while you're at it, do the right thing for your own country and my adopted country, by telling us what a independent Scotland will be like, what constitution will contain, that we will have a Scottish currency from day one and that myself and all the other pensioners will enjoy a much healthier and improved pension. We do do not want to imagine. We know what we want!!
Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife
THE front page of the Sunday National was not a surprise to me. After all, we are living in an unbelievable dystopia, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's fiction about Alice in Wonderland.
We thought when we got an SNP government we were getting something SPECIAL. But it turns out to be just the same old brown-envelope Ministry of Silly Walks as we have had since the beginning of time.
READ MORE: Angus Robertson's secret Israel meeting minutes revealed
Unless the SNP cleans up its act, and desists from collaborating with GENOCIDE, they will find out that the Scottish citizens will NOT put up with the violence that is popular in other parts of this great British Empire.
John Swinney will see when we have our general election in Scotland that the electorate refuse to turn a blind eye to their behaviour. And he knows that.
I certainly will NOT be voting for [[SNP]]. I tore up my membership when Mr Swinney went crawling to that popular guy with all the golf courses, Donald Trump.
Margaret Forbes
Blanefield