John Swinney has described for the first time Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide”, with the Scottish first minister saying it was indisputable.
Swinney became the second leader of a UK nation to use the term “genocide’” in relation to the attacks by the Israel Defense Forces on Palestinians in Gaza after Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill did so last month.
He was speaking at an Edinburgh fringe event in the Scottish capital, which was disrupted numerous times by pro-Palestinian protesters. Speaking to journalists after the event at the Strand Comedy Club, he said: “It’s quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can’t be disputed.
“I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. I’ve expressed that and obviously it’s not reached all those individuals, but that’s my feeling,” said Swinney.
Pro-Palestinian protesters held up signs spelling ‘genocide’ during the event in Edinburgh. Photograph: Craig Paton/PA
Israel has repeatedly denied it is carrying out a genocide and says the war in Gaza is one of self-defence after attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, the majority civilians. More than 250 other people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, where 50 remain hostage, with 20 believed to be still alive.
More than 1,350 Palestinians queueing for aid have been killed by Israeli troops since May, according to UNdata published this week.
At least 91 people were killed and hundreds wounded ahead of a visit by the US envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel on Friday.
Meanwhile, two leading human rights organisations based in Israel, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it.
Swinney’s comments follow pressure from inside the Scottish National party (SNP), including elected representatives in Holyrood and Westminster. Stephen Flynn, the leader of the SNP’s nine MPs in Westminster, urged the UK government to call it a genocide during questions in the Commons weeks ago.
In July the first minister of Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill, said Israel’s actions were “state terrorism”, adding: “It is inhumanity, it is genocide, it is wrong.”
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The Scottish government has been criticised for providing money for apprenticeships at firms that build weapons, while not directly funding the manufacturing of munitions.
The first minister said the government’s commercial arm Scottish Enterprise had the “strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries”.
Pushed on providing money for staff who could build munitions, the first minister said: “We are trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that’s the purpose. That’s why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.”
Throughout the Edinburgh show, groups of people stood up holding signs that together spelled out the word “genocide” and heckled the first minister. Swinney’s security team stopped protesters from approaching the stage.
As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, until two groups stood up at the same time, shouting at the first minister and chanting slogans such as “call it genocide”.