Netanyahu ‘not a partner in peace’, says Scottish Labour leader Sarwar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “not a partner in peace” who will eventually have to answer to international courts over the crisis in Gaza, the leader of Scottish Labour has said.

Anas Sarwar hit out at the Israeli premier as he announced plans to take over Gaza City in a new offensive.

While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the plans were “wrong”, Sarwar was much more strident, describing Netanyahu as a “war criminal”.

Following news of the offensive, the Scottish Greens urged the Prime Minister to expel the Israeli ambassador from the UK.

But Sarwar said he did not want to “get into stunts”.

“The problem here is Benjamin Netanyahu, his Israel government, his illegal occupation, his lack of interest in peace and the fact that he clearly has no respect for international law, and gives no value to the sanctity of human life,” he told the PA news agency.

“He is a danger to his own population in Israel, but he’s also a danger to the Palestinian population and a danger to the wider region in the Middle East.”

He added: “We all have to be resolute in saying that Netanyahu is a war criminal, he’s not acting in the interests of peace.

“He’s not a partner for peace, Hamas is a terrorist organisation that committed horrific acts on October 7 2023 – they aren’t partners for peace.”

Diplomacy, the Scottish Labour leader said, had not yet worked in ending the conflict, but shutting off communications would not help matters.

“Diplomacy hasn’t worked in terms of the war ending, because the war is still ongoing,” he said.

“There is a plausible case for genocide that the Israeli government has to answer and one day I believe will have to answer to the ICC and the ICJ.

“But we have to urgently end the war – if we think just stopping talking to the Israeli government means that we end the war, I think that’s a pretty naive view of the situation right now.”

The only person who the Israel Government would listen to, he said, would be US President Donald Trump, as he urged the international community to exert as much pressure as possible on the administration.

Asked if he felt the UK Government had done enough to solve the issue, the Scottish Labour leader said it had done “a lot”, but added: “I think there’s still more we have to look at.”

Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater said the UK Government has been an “active participant” in what she described as a “genocide” in Gaza.

“Urging restraint is not enough, the hypocrisy must end. The arms sales must stop and so must the military collaboration and political support that has gone with them.

“That must mean backing sanctions against Israeli forces and expelling the Israeli ambassador who has served as a mouthpiece for genocide.

“This has been a disgraceful chapter in UK foreign policy and has made the Prime Minister and his colleagues complicit in some of the worst war crimes of this century.”

The UK Government has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister John Swinney hit out at the announcement of the new offensive.

“The decision of the Israeli Government to seize control of Gaza City is completely and utterly unacceptable,” he said in a post on X.

“It will create even more human suffering for the Palestinian people and further escalate the conflict.

“The international community must stop Israel and secure a ceasefire.”