Scottish campaigners deplore First Minister for receiving Israeli envoy

A group of Scottish activists have staged a protest gathering in front of the country’s under-construction parliament to condemn First Minister Alex Salmond’s meeting with Israeli envoy to the UK.

Scottish police arrested 10 protesters as they scaled the roof of the Holyrood building and held up banners, which called for an end to the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Members of the group called “We Are All Hana Shalabi”, named after a Palestinian hunger striker, demanded a ban on future visits by the Israeli ambassador to Scotland.

Protester Jack McGinn said: “We thought it was disgraceful that the First Minister met with the Israeli ambassador at a time like this, and we would hope that the ambassador will not be invited back to Scotland.

“We think the anti-Israeli sentiment is well founded in Scotland, and for good reason.

“We are protesting against the Scottish government’s inaction over the current Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the lack of an acceptable statement that’s come from either the First Minister, the government or the Scotland National Party (SNP).

“We think that the First Minister should come out with a strong statement condemning the Israeli atrocities in Gaza, and the Scottish government should divest from all ties with arms companies involved in maintaining Israeli’s occupation”, said McGinn.

During the meeting, Salmond and Taub discussed “elements of extreme hostility to Israel in parts of Scottish society”.

Salmond, meanwhile, has censured the Israeli bombardment of Gaza as “heavily disproportionate” and called for “the illegal blockade of Gaza to be lifted”.