Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman): Lab

The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-3179, in the name of Nicola Sturgeon, on the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon): SNP

First, let me take the opportunity to thank all parties for their support and co-operation in securing today's very important debate.The scenes of devastatio...

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): Lab

This morning, it is right that we should spend some time discussing how Scotland can respond to the humanitarian disaster that is happening in the Gaza strip...

Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): Con

Few of us who spoke in Pauline McNeill's members' business debate on the last day before the Christmas recess could have expected the escalation in violence ...

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): Lab

Will the member give way on that point?

Ted Brocklebank: Con

No, I will not. I have only four minutes.Bringing about a cease-fire now is no easy matter, as there must be a cease-fire on both sides. It is pointless to d...

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): LD

The Palestinian people are paying a dear price for Europe's guilt about what happened to European Jews. I find Mr Brocklebank's comments completely inappropr...

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): Con

Will the member give way?

Hugh O'Donnell: LD

I am sorry, but I have only four minutes.The overwhelming use of force by Israel and the unacceptable loss of civilian lives are radicalising moderate Palest...

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Lab

We now move to the open debate. There will be four-minute speeches, and I remind members that no one-minute warnings will be given and that they should there...

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): SNP

I thank the Scottish Government and all political parties for acting swiftly to enable us to have this debate. It is important that the Scottish Parliament s...

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): Lab

Like many others, over the past fortnight I have found myself shouting at the television as I have watched the carnage in Gaza. There may be terrorists in Ga...

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

I will not join the many armchair experts on the complex situation in the middle east and, in particular, the Palestine-Israeli conflict. Instead, I turn to ...

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): Lab

I am pleased that members have been given the opportunity to come together in this debate and I am sure that we can unanimously agree the terms of the motion...

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): Green

Ted Brocklebank attempted to be fair and even-handed, but this is not the time to be fair and even-handed; this is the time for us to express our horror at w...

Sandra White: SNP

Is the member aware that Alyn Smith MEP has a motion in the European Parliament on exactly that point? It proposes that we keep up the pressure on Israel and...

Robin Harper: Green

I thank Sandra White for that useful intervention. We can all lean on the other MEPs to support that motion.The decision in December to support the upgrade i...

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): SNP

I thank the Scottish Government for lodging the motion.Since 27 December, we have witnessed an assault on Gaza that is unlike anything before. The numbers in...

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): Lab

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this important debate. It is right and proper that the Scottish Parliament should express its view on the crisis in...

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): LD

Like millions of other people, I am absolutely shocked by the huge scale of the Israeli attacks that have been taking place since 27 December and which we ha...

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): Con

Naturally, the debate has at times been emotionally charged—so it must be when images of raw conflict are broadcast into our homes as it happens. The debate ...

Pauline McNeill: Lab

The business manager of the Conservative party was quite helpful in allowing us to secure a debate this morning. However, I am sad to say that the speakers f...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan): SNP

Order.

Ted Brocklebank: Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Pauline McNeill: Lab

I will not.I want to address the points that were made by Ted Brocklebank and Jackson Carlaw, who should perhaps clarify their position.Ted Brocklebank sugge...

The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture (Linda Fabiani): SNP

It is absolutely right that the Parliament discusses these issues. Throughout the debate, we have heard the depth of feeling that the developing humanitarian...