Chamber
Plenary, 08 Jan 2009
08 Jan 2009 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Gaza (Humanitarian Disaster)
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 sends a message to Israel and the rest of the world that there must be a cease-fire and an end to the killing on all sides. I say to Ted Brocklebank that we cannot blame the Palestinians for the horrors that were visited on the Israeli people.
Some 700 Palestinians and 11 Israelis have been killed in the recent events. I leave members to ponder those numbers. Disproportionate? I would say so.
Like others, I have visited Gaza. I have seen the refugee camps and I have eaten and drunk with the people, and it breaks my heart to watch the continued bombardment night after night. Gaza is a densely populated area in which the people have suffered greatly through the siege. Members might have seen a small red-haired boy during the television coverage. We spoke to that boy when we were there, simply because he stood out because of his red hair. I wonder whether that small red-haired boy is alive today to speak on behalf of the people of Gaza.
We met people on the streets and in hospitals, and we met kids in schools. Those kids said to us, "All we want is a life the same as yours. We want to be free. We want to be able to study and move freely throughout our country." That is not too much to ask. Sadly, those kids cannot even attend their schools any more, because those schools have been bombed. As we have heard already, a UN school was bombed and 40 children were killed.
Yesterday, there was a three-hour cease-fire to allow aid to enter. That was a completely inadequate amount of time. How long would it take to get the aid in? How long would it take to get it to the right people? Furthermore, after the so-called truce, leaflets were dropped warning people to leave their homes or face air strikes. Following that, 60 air strikes were carried out. Where were those people supposed to go? Gaza is densely populated, and Gaza city is almost the same size as the middle of Glasgow. Where could those people go? Into the sea, which is patrolled by Israeli boats?
The UN and the international community have called for a cease-fire, yet they are ignored. What is the point of having institutions such as the UN if no one listens to them and no one obeys the laws that they create?
When we visited Gaza, the situation was dire. As the Deputy First Minister said, nothing was going in and nothing was coming out. Children were in incubators and people were on dialysis machines, and no one knew when those machines might be turned off because Israel controls the power. They had no fuel for ambulances to bring people to hospital. That was before the recent invasion; just think what it must be like now. Gaza is undergoing a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions. That must be stopped. There must be a long-lasting cease-fire, not just three-hour truces here and there, so that aid can be delivered to the Palestinians.
The situation cannot continue. There must be peace in the middle east, and there must be a two-state solution. There must be a Palestinian state, as people must be allowed their democratic rights. Bombing and killing people is not the way forward. I agree that both sides are engaged in killing, but the situation is disproportionate.
As I said, I see what is happening in Gaza on the television every night. I see the frustration of the people in Gaza and feel the frustration of people in Scotland and throughout the world. I visited a couple who left Gaza on the boat with us—an old man, whom we brought to Scotland for treatment that was unavailable in Gaza, and his wife. They now stay with their son in Riddrie in Glasgow. They are lovely people, and they gave me a warm welcome. I say to the people of Gaza that we want to give them a warm welcome. There must be a cease-fire, and the bombings must end.
Some 700 Palestinians and 11 Israelis have been killed in the recent events. I leave members to ponder those numbers. Disproportionate? I would say so.
Like others, I have visited Gaza. I have seen the refugee camps and I have eaten and drunk with the people, and it breaks my heart to watch the continued bombardment night after night. Gaza is a densely populated area in which the people have suffered greatly through the siege. Members might have seen a small red-haired boy during the television coverage. We spoke to that boy when we were there, simply because he stood out because of his red hair. I wonder whether that small red-haired boy is alive today to speak on behalf of the people of Gaza.
We met people on the streets and in hospitals, and we met kids in schools. Those kids said to us, "All we want is a life the same as yours. We want to be free. We want to be able to study and move freely throughout our country." That is not too much to ask. Sadly, those kids cannot even attend their schools any more, because those schools have been bombed. As we have heard already, a UN school was bombed and 40 children were killed.
Yesterday, there was a three-hour cease-fire to allow aid to enter. That was a completely inadequate amount of time. How long would it take to get the aid in? How long would it take to get it to the right people? Furthermore, after the so-called truce, leaflets were dropped warning people to leave their homes or face air strikes. Following that, 60 air strikes were carried out. Where were those people supposed to go? Gaza is densely populated, and Gaza city is almost the same size as the middle of Glasgow. Where could those people go? Into the sea, which is patrolled by Israeli boats?
The UN and the international community have called for a cease-fire, yet they are ignored. What is the point of having institutions such as the UN if no one listens to them and no one obeys the laws that they create?
When we visited Gaza, the situation was dire. As the Deputy First Minister said, nothing was going in and nothing was coming out. Children were in incubators and people were on dialysis machines, and no one knew when those machines might be turned off because Israel controls the power. They had no fuel for ambulances to bring people to hospital. That was before the recent invasion; just think what it must be like now. Gaza is undergoing a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions. That must be stopped. There must be a long-lasting cease-fire, not just three-hour truces here and there, so that aid can be delivered to the Palestinians.
The situation cannot continue. There must be peace in the middle east, and there must be a two-state solution. There must be a Palestinian state, as people must be allowed their democratic rights. Bombing and killing people is not the way forward. I agree that both sides are engaged in killing, but the situation is disproportionate.
As I said, I see what is happening in Gaza on the television every night. I see the frustration of the people in Gaza and feel the frustration of people in Scotland and throughout the world. I visited a couple who left Gaza on the boat with us—an old man, whom we brought to Scotland for treatment that was unavailable in Gaza, and his wife. They now stay with their son in Riddrie in Glasgow. They are lovely people, and they gave me a warm welcome. I say to the people of Gaza that we want to give them a warm welcome. There must be a cease-fire, and the bombings must end.
In the same item of business
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...