The Scottish National Party (SNP) has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to take decisive action against Israel, accusing London of remaining silent in the face of what it described as genocide in Gaza, reported by Scottish daily The National.
Brendan O’Hara, the SNP’s spokesperson on Middle East affairs, issued the appeal in a sharply worded letter, excerpts of which were published by The National and reported by Al Jazeera. He urged Starmer to abandon what he called a “passive stance” and to confront Britain’s legal and moral responsibilities.
“Your Labour government cannot sit silent as a genocide unfolds in Gaza, and I look forward to hearing from you,” O’Hara wrote.
The letter laid out a list of measures the SNP believes Westminster must pursue. Among them: a complete arms embargo on Israel, immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, and the United Kingdom’s formal participation in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. O’Hara also called for economic sanctions targeting Israel.
He went further, demanding the launch of a naval mission to deliver humanitarian aid directly into Gaza, where aid groups warn of famine and catastrophic shortages. The SNP MP also pressed Starmer to commit to enforcing international arrest warrants should they be issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or members of his cabinet.
“Failure to do so,” O’Hara argued, “is a breach of your legal obligations.”
The SNP has long positioned itself as a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, but O’Hara’s intervention underscores growing pressure on Starmer from within the United Kingdom as the Gaza war nears its second year. His call adds a Scottish dimension to an increasingly fractious debate over Britain’s policy in the Middle East, one that may test the Labour government’s unity and credibility abroad.
