The brother of a Newton Mearns man killed by Hamas on October 7 has accused the SNP of antisemitism following the row over Angus Robertson’s meeting with an Israeli diplomat.

Writing in today’s Herald, Colin Cowan also said the party’s former leader, Humza Yousaf had used his grieving mother as a “photo opportunity,” going on to describe their embrace at a memorial service as “an act of Jew-washing.”

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Bernard Cowan, 57, was killed by Hamas in his home in Kibbutz Sufa in southern Israel, close to the border with Gaza.

The surprise attack saw the terrorist group kill more than 1,200 people, and seize about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. More than 100 hostages are still in captivity.

(Image: Contributed)

Israel Defense Forces launched air and land offensives in the enclave in response. Palestinian health officials say the death toll from the offensive has now passed 40,000, while another two million have been displaced.

The SNP has long criticised the scale of the Israeli retaliation and called for a ceasefire.

When details of talks between Mr Robertson and Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK, became public, there was widespread anger in the SNP.

MP, MSPs and party members have all criticised the veteran politician, and there have even been calls for the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs to lose his job.

One SNP branch will attempt to have him suspended at the party’s conference at the end of the month.

Mr Robertson has since apologised for the meeting.

Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday, he said this was because he had given “an impression that there was a normalisation of relations between the Scottish Government and the Israeli government when there is not.”

Mr Robertson also confirmed that the Scottish Government will no longer accept invitations to meet Israeli diplomats.

He said this would remain the position “until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.”

Mr Cowan contrasted the SNP’s reaction to Mr Robertson’s meeting with Ms Grudksy Ekstein to Humza Yousaf’s decision to invite President Erdogan of Turkey to Scotland. He said there was a “blatant double standard”.

(Image: Turkish Govt)

“I didn’t hear any such calls for his resignation, in spite of the shameful Turkish human rights record and their disgusting treatment of Kurdish people.

“Indeed, Scotland and China has a multi-million-pound annual trading portfolio, and this is in spite of China’s woeful and routine human rights abuses, including the imprisonment of its Uyghur Muslim population in North-West China.

“China’s treatment of the Uyghurs has often been labelled a form of cultural genocide. Yet, why has there been no calls for the resignation of Scottish leaders for their pursuit of strong relations with China?”

“What is so objectionable about the world’s only Jewish state that leads so many to criticise it above that of any other country?” he added.

He said there was “no doubt about the answer” answering that antisemitism was “the worst it's ever been in this country in my lifetime.”

He said Scottish Jews were even considering moving to Israel “due to the level of anti-Jew hatred here.”

“That should ring alarm bells for the leadership in Scotland. Sadly, it does not seem to,” he added.

Mr Cowan said Scottish Jews wanted John Swinney to acknowledge the “legitimate fears.”

He asked the First Minister to meet with and listen to the community.

(Image: Supplied)

He also asked the SNP if he could address their conference, to tell delegates “about the murder of my brother, the horrors of 7th October and the plight of the Jewish community here in Scotland.”

Shortly after the Hamas attack, Mr Yousaf - whose family were trapped in Gaza at the time - attended a service of prayer and solidarity at the synagogue in Giffnock, where he met with Mr Cowan’s family members and hugged Bernard’s mother, Irene.

In his column, Mr Cowan says that he has “reached the conclusion that the actions of the SNP since then, especially since Monday, have shown me that this was nothing other than a photo opportunity for the party, an act of Jew-washing, to avoid any accusation of inaction on combating the rife antisemitism that we suffer from in this country.”

Responding to Mr Cowan’s comment, Mr Yousaf said: “My thoughts continue to be with families who are suffering due to the horrific terror attack by Hamas on October 7th, including the Cowan family, and families in Gaza who have been devastated by Israel’s horrendous actions, resulting in tens of thousands of innocent people being killed.

“When I participated in the Service of Solidarity at Giffnock Shul in October last year, it was at a time of extreme personal grief as my in-laws continued to be trapped in a warzone in Gaza, not knowing whether they would live or die day-by-day.

“My commitment to the Jewish community then, and now, is to be an ally in the face of antisemitism, and I am proud of my lifelong campaigning against hatred in all of its forms, and believe that Islamaphobia and antisemitism are two sides of the same coin. Let us be clear, criticism of the actions of the Government of Israel is not antisemitism.

“While I support diplomacy, even with countries we fundamentally disagree with, there must be limits. That is why I support the Scottish Government ensuring there are not normal diplomatic relationships with the Government of Israel until they comply with their international obligations and cease killing civilians with impunity.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister extends his deepest condolences for Mr Cowan’s loss. He would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with Mr Cowan and his family.

“From the outset of the conflict, the Scottish Government has condemned Hamas’ barbaric attacks on 7 October. The Scottish Government supports an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.

“The First Minister takes the issues of anti-Semitism extremely seriously. Since taking office, he has visited the Jewish community in East Renfrewshire to hear first-hand their concerns regarding anti-Semitism. In addition, during the recent disorder seen elsewhere in the UK, the First Minister met with representatives of a number of faith communities to provide reassurance of the Scottish Government’s unwavering support for the safety of all communities in Scotland, which included senior Jewish faith leadership.

“This week, he has also spoken with representatives of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities.

“The First Minister will always stand up for the safety and security of all communities in Scotland.”

The SNP was approached for comment.