Our hearts are broken over the suffering of civilians in both Israel and Gaza, following Hamas’s abhorrent attack and the Israeli government’s subsequent siege and invasion. We’re fearful that the war, which has already claimed so many lives, will further escalate, and we take this chance to express our solidarity with all the civilians affected, as well as all the citizens anywhere in Europe who have suffered because of growing sentiments of antisemitism and islamophobia.
In the United Kingdom, the dramatic escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has led to a rift between the UK political leadership and large sections of the British public. In contrast to President Biden, who called on Netanyahu not to repeat the mistakes America made after 9/11 in invading Iraq, the UK political leadership, who made the same mistake, did not show the same humility. Instead, both Rishi Sunak’s government and most of the opposition led by Labour leader Keir Starmer have thrown their support squarely behind the Israeli government, rejecting proposals for a ceasefire.
This uncompromising attitude belies the UK’s historical responsibility not only in light of the Iraq War, but also considering the key role the British Empire played in establishing a problematic partition between Israel and the territories assigned to the Palestinian state, defined for the first time in Lord Peel’s report of 1937 during the British mandate for Palestine.
In contrast to many of their English neighbours, Scottish politicians have struck a far more nuanced note across all party lines. The tone for this was set by the Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, who, in our view, was able to connect with both the Jewish and Muslim populations in ways that no other UK institutional figure managed to do.
Directly affected by the war, as his in-laws were trapped in Gaza for weeks before their escape last Friday, Yousaf, the Glaswegian son of Pakistani immigrants, showed solidarity with the Scottish Jewish community by participating in a prayer vigil, where he told the congregation:
I want you to know that this First Minister, who is proudly Muslim, shares the pain of our Jewish communities. Your heartbreak is my heartbreak. Your loss is my loss. Your tears are my tears. No-one should ever be harmed because of their faith. No child should ever be murdered for their citizenship, or any other reason. Nothing can ever justify such acts of brutality as we saw on Saturday morning [the 7th of October]. They must be condemned in the strongest possible way.
Responding to the tragic events unfolding in Gaza, Yousaf condemned collective punishment and called for a ceasefire and corridor for humanitarian aid, stressing that “the danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.”
Compared to the UK, Scotland has a different outlook on the world. Its diplomacy of humanity offers a balm of compassion and sagacity in response to the crisis in Gaza and Israel. We at Europe for Scotland work to help Scots make their unique voice heard, especially within the EU. This way, rather than being drowned out by the louder voices from the South of the British Isles, Scotland’s compassionate approach could counter the harsh dissonance of a Britain that has lost its way.
This is a key argument put forward in a powerful article by the English writer (and chair supporter of Europe for Scotland) Anthony Barnett. Discussing new proposals for EU enlargement, Barnett writes that “The British state has become a prison of nations, England included. We need a joint jailbreak. Not so each of us can be ‘free and alone’ but instead to rejoin our European cousins in a larger, better union.” For this to happen, Scotland, he believes, needs to set an example that the other nations can follow.
Anthony Barnett is among many distinguished thinkers who will further discuss these issues at the upcoming conference on Scotland’s future and its relationship to its closest neighbours. “The Breakup of Britain?”, inspired by the late Tom Nairn, will take place on November 18th in Edinburgh. The illustrious line up brings together speakers from across the different nations of the UK (and beyond), including the MPs Alyn Smith, Clive Lewis and Caroline Lucas, the writers Lesley Riddoch, Neal Ascherson and Hannah Rose Woods, and many other leading journalists and intellectuals.
If you can, please buy your tickets and join us in Edinburgh! Europe for Scotland’s coordinator, Andrea Pisauro, will chair the concluding session, which asks: Can Europe be complete without Scotland?
You can imagine our answer to this question – but our reasons may still surprise you.
We hope to see many of you there!