Scottish Government won't share Israel meeting over relations risk

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson was forced to apologise after he met with Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK in August.

The talks included issues like trade and energy but also saw Mr Robertson highlight Scotland’s position calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

But he conceded the trade talks were “not appropriate” and said the meeting should have been strictly limited to ceasefire talks and the Scottish Government has since suspended any future meetings with Israeli officials.

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Meeting details emerged when Ms Grudsky Ekstein after she tweeted thanking Mr Robertson for “welcoming us to wonderful Scotland”, stating the “unique commonalities” between Israel and Scotland was discussed.

She also said the pair discussed the urgency of returning 115 hostages taken by Hamas since October 7.

But the post sparked outrage, including from SNP members, with Mr Robertson forced to swiftly defend the meeting.

However, rejecting media requests to publish the contents of the meeting, the Scottish Government said it was subject to a “public interest test”.

The FOI said: “We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding this exemption.

“We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of the subject matter as well as the interest in open and transparent government.

“However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the Scottish and UK Governments being about to maintain good and honest relations with states they choose to engage with.”

It also said the release of any information “may cause substantial prejudice to international relations between the UK and any other state.”

The Scottish Government has said it is a "requirement of international relations that confidentiality is not breached".

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said there is no "legitimate reason" not to publish the details of the meeting.

Patrick Harvie. (Image: PA)

He said: “It's astonishing that the Scottish Government thought that a meeting with a senior representative for a government that is inflicting genocide would be appropriate, and I can see no legitimate reason for refusing to publish details of it. The refusal should be immediately challenged.

“There is nothing ‘good and honest’ about secret meetings like this. It is completely unacceptable to offer legitimacy to war criminals and to give them a smiling photo-op.

“The Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs has claimed that the meeting was used to discuss the assault on Gaza, but by hiding the agenda from public scrutiny, there is no way to tell what was said or where in the agenda it fell.

“The Scottish Greens have demanded an end to public grants and subsidies to companies arming Israel and those that are complicit in the illegal occupation of the West Bank, but the SNP has failed to take action.

“It is time for the Scottish Government to come clean, publish the agenda and allow scrutiny of this secretive meeting.”

Scottish Tory external affairs spokesman Alexander Stewart said: “Secrecy and evasion have been the hallmarks of this SNP Government – but even by their standards redacting literally everything from a Freedom of Information response is incredible.

“Usually, their shameful lack of transparency is designed to keep the public in the dark. But given the furore Angus Robertson’s meeting with Israeli officials caused in his own party, you suspect this one is as much about stopping SNP MSPs finding out what was discussed.”

Mr Robertson used his party conference in Edinburgh this month to apologise to SNP members following the backlash, which included a pro-Palestinian protest outside the International Conference Centre.

On a UK-wide level, trade restarted with Israel in July.

The Herald also asked the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government to release any correspondence or briefings on the Scottish Government's diplomatic meeting.

The request was also rejected, recognising the importance of "maintaining trust and confidence", adding: "If the United Kingdom does not maintain this trust  and confidence, its ability to protect and promote UK interests through international relations will be hampered, which will not be in the public interest."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The meeting request from the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador was accepted on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey the Scottish Government’s consistent and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This position was made clear by the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs during the meeting.

“The Scottish Government remains committed to an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, an end to UK arms sales to Israel and will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region.

 “It is a requirement of international relations that confidentiality is not breached. That is why the Freedom of Information legislation includes provisions to exempt material that would prejudice substantially relations between the UK and any other State. This is the case in relation to this minute.”