Stephen Flynn: ‘An independent Scotland would cut ties with Israel’

Read time: 3 mins

In brief…

• Flynn tells The News Agents that the UK’s stance on the Israel/Gaza conflict “makes no sense” as it still supplies military equipment to Israel, while at the same time condemning its actions against its neighbour.
• He says the UK has “red lines” when it comes to military action carried out by other countries, but these are not being applied to Israel.
• The SNP MP also calls for party members not to meet with certain individuals in the Israeli government, saying some are not “rational actors” in the conflict.

What’s the story?

Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader in Westminster has criticised the Labour government’s “weak” response to the situation in Gaza, and said an independent Scotland would cut ties with Israel.

Speaking to The News Agents, Flynn described recent sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers – Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as "progress", but has called on the government to clarify its stance on the situation in Gaza.

In September 2024, the UK revoked 30 of 350 licenses for military exports to Israel, saying it had been advised these may have been used in a way which broke international law.

"We'll still be sending component parts from the UK for F35s that bomb civilians, whilst at the same time arguing that people shouldn't be getting bombed and that there's a humanitarian crisis we should be responding to," Flynn tells Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel.

"The UK's position on this doesn't make sense. It hasn't made sense for very many months.”

He says recent actions and statements by the UK government, such as Keir Starmer's comments that Israel's actions in Gaza are "appalling and intolerable" represent "slow movement" from the UK, but not enough to make an impact on Israel's position.

"We need to be clearer about where we stand with regard to the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and the fact that for many people, this represents genocide."

The ICJ is investigating claims, brought by South Africa, that the bombing of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people represents a genocide.

Israel's invasion and widespread destruction of Gaza began after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in strikes against the country on 7 October 2023.

The two countries have been engaged in deadly warfare for decades over ownership of land in the Middle East.

Flynn has supported SNP calls for Scottish independence, and tells The News Agents that if this was achieved, that under current circumstances, it would close the Scottish embassy in Israel and cut all ties.

"I find it difficult to comprehend how you can deal with people who are so insistent upon killing a civilian population in the way that they are," he says.

"We have red lines on this with other nations across the world. For some reason, we don't in this instance, and I think that's a matter of great regret."

He also added that he would advise all SNP MPs not to meet with certain members of Israel's government and its representatives, and says no British MP should engage with President Isaac Herzog, who he describes as not being a "rational actor" in the conflict.

"To go and sit and break bread for them, that's not for me," he says.

"I'll meet with rational actors who want to protect civilian life.

"I'm not going to go and have a chat with people who want to destroy and devastate a community to the point of no longer being in existence."

Flynn claims Herzog has endorsed the ethnic cleansing of people in Gaza.

Herzog has denied these claims, and said that Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have not committed murder in Gaza.

Flynn, who has previously called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, has said the UK's current stance is "weak".

"I'm deeply, deeply upset and angry about what's happened in Gaza and what continues to happen in Gaza, and the fact that the UK position has been so weak for so far too long in respect of this," he adds.

Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.