Scottish First Minister calls on Parliament to unite in agreeing that the State of Palestine should be recognised

First Minister John Swinney will today call on the Scottish Parliament to agree that the State of Palestine should be recognised, and to support a range of measures to do what we can to help pressure the Israeli government into ending the conflict in Gaza.

The First Minister said:

“We have watched the death toll in Gaza grow on a daily basis. The international community, including Scotland, has called on the Israeli government to agree to an immediate ceasefire but the calls go unanswered and the death toll spirals. It is simply unacceptable. I continue to share the concerns of other governments and international leaders that actions of the Israeli government in Gaza constitute genocide. That means we urgently need to do more to help.

“My Cabinet and I have agreed a range of actions that the Scottish Government can take in response to the crisis in Gaza.

“I will outline those measures in Parliament this afternoon and I urge all members to unite and show their support for the people of Gaza, to call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and an end to this conflict.”