Angus Robertson says he will not resign from government despite widespread unhappiness from colleagues and SNP members over a meeting with an Israeli diplomat.

In his first interview since details of the summit with Daniela Grudsky Ekstein emerged last weekend, the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs confirmed that they had spoken about energy, tourism and economic cooperation, as well as the war.

On Monday, Mr Robertson apologised that the talks were not "strictly limited to the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza."

There have been calls for the minister to resign, with a number of SNP MSPs and MPs furious at the decsion to meet.

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Asked if he had considered his position in the cabinet following the backlash, Mr Roberston said: “No, I haven’t because I think it was right to communicate the message that we did.

“But I have reflected very strongly on the impact that it has created and the impression that was created, which is why I issued the apology yesterday.

“I most certainly did not want to create an impression that there was a normalisation of relations between the Scottish Government and the Israeli government when there is not.”

Asked if he had spoken to the First Minister about the meeting, Mr Robertson said: “I don't think I spoke about it in person with him, but it was part of the government's internal deliberations, which included an official recommendation to meet that he was aware of.

"But it was me who ultimately made the decision that the meeting should go ahead.

“Why? Because it would be the first opportunity to lay out the Scottish government and indeed the Scottish Parliament's strong opposition to what is and has been happening in Gaza."

Mr Robertson insisted that it was right for the Scottish Government to criticise Israel over their military action in Gaza.

“Scotland's voice does matter," he told Good Morning Scotland.

"It won’t change things overnight, of course not, but we have things to say and in this case we call for the Israelis to end what they are doing in Gaza, that humanitarian supplies should be allowed in, that civilians should not be targeted.”

Mr Robertson apology was accepted by former first minister Humza Yousaf. He said there had been “anger and upset in the party” over the meeting. However, he described his colleague as an “asset when representing Scotland on the world stage.”

The former SNP Joanna Cherry claimed that Mr Robertson would never be sacked or resign. 

“He holds a very protected position within the SNP,” she claimed on X.