Mason stripped of SNP whip over 'unacceptable' Gaza posts

John Mason has been the MSP for Glasgow Shettleston since 2011

SNP MSP John Mason has been stripped of the party whip after "completely unacceptable" social media posts about the conflict in Gaza.

The move comes days after External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson was pictured standing alongside Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky

Many SNP figures are highly critical of Israel’s conduct in the Middle East and the diplomatic encounter prompted 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 amount to "genocide".

Daniela Grudsky posted a photo on social media of the meeting with Angus Robertson.

In response, a spokesperson for the SNP Chief Whip said: "To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable.

"There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance."

The spokesperson added the SNP Group would now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation of a fixed period suspension, for what they described as a "utterly abhorrent comment".

The withdrawal of the whip means Mr Mason is effectively expelled from the SNP with immediate effect and must sit as an independent MSP until it is restored.

Following the move the Glasgow Shettleston MSP posted a statement on Facebook which outlined his desire for peace in the region.

The statement acknowledged "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 added: "However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.

"They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many.

"And we should remember that it is Iran and Hamas who have stated that they want Israel wiped off the map… that sounds more like an intention of genocide than anything Israel has said or done."

On Wednesday Scotland's First Minister John Swinney defended Mr Robertson's face-to-face meeting with the deputy ambassador, which took place on 8 August.

A spokesperson said Mr Robertson had “reiterated the Scottish government’s position in calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in Gaza”.

They added that the external affairs secretary had called for “the unconditional release of all hostages and the opening of safe routes to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza.”

But former minister Kevin Stewart branded the meeting a mistake.

The Aberdeen Central MSP posted on social media, external: “I hope Angus Robertson also demanded an immediate ceasefire, castigated 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”.

That was reposted by Ivan McKee, a serving Scottish government minister.

John Swinney posted a statement online, acknowledging that some felt a meeting was “not appropriate”. But he stood by the decision to accept the Israeli request.

The first minister explained that he saw it as an opportunity to convey the Scottish government’s “consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region.”

Mr Mason also met with Ms Grudsky and said they had a "useful discussion about what Israel hopes to achieve in Gaza".

He added: "As UK learned in Ireland, to achieve peace we must talk to each other...including to people we disagree with."

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.