Few Western governments have avoided a row over their response to events in Israel and Gaza since Hamas' butchering of around 1,200 Israelis on October 7 last year. The Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups committed a plethora of crimes against humanity, from the killing of civilians to acts of sexual violence, from torture to the taking of civilian hostages, 71 of whom are still believed to be alive in Hamas' hands.

The Israeli response to Hamas's atrocities has widened the human suffering. More than two million Gazans - over 85% of the Strip's population - have been displaced. The death toll in Gaza is now as high as 40,000, roughly 1.7% of the pre-October 7 population - greater than the proportions of the French, Italian, or Belgian populations killed throughout the Second World War. How to respond has posed a thorny diplomatic challenge to Israel's Western allies, and it is more surprising that it has taken this long for a row over Scotland's relations with Israel to break out within the SNP than the fact that it has now done so.

The row, which one SNP insider told The Herald's Andrew Learmonth could lead to a "conference from hell" when the SNP convene next weekend, began when it emerged that Angus Robertson, the Scottish Government's External Affairs Secretary, had met on August 8 with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Daniela Grudsky. In this meeting, Mr Robertson discussed areas of cooperation between Scotland and Israel, such as tourism, cultural exchange, and renewable energy.

Critics within the SNP have condemned him for engaging with Israel on issues other than the Scottish Government's calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, and the opening of more safe routes for........

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