Throughout my life, I have taken no issue in condemning violent oppression and abuses of human rights, and this is borne out by my record of doing so wherever such abuse is perpetrated. I am also a vocal proponent of freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and religious freedom, but I draw a firm line at the monstering of a people or ethnic group, or the misuse of such identities as a means to cover for, or qualify, human rights abuses.

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Having been born into pre-troubles Northern Ireland and living through the early years of that violent conflict I have a deep personal sensitivity to such issues. I have heard first-hand hate filed words attributed to a whole community. I have witnessed neighbours bombed from their business and home, and I have heard the indignant voices claiming moral superiority to justify those actions. I know people who were caught up in the violence, both perpetrator and victim, and I’ve heard first-hand the regrets of those who fought for a cause they now realise was a lie, and also from those who lost loved ones at the hands of violent strangers. There are no winners to violence.

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However aggrieved or embittered either side may be, truth, dialogue and reconciliation are the only mechanisms which can chart a route of escape from the futility of escalation and towards peace.

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My focus since the events of October 7th has been on the civilian populations, and they remain my priority. As a result, I chose not to add my voice to the clamour of those who now find themselves attempting to row back on words uttered just a matter of days prior.

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The position of the Alba Party was made clear in the statement issued by Alex Salmond on the 9th October, which said all that could usefully be said in public at that time. There is no advantage to the people of Israel or Palestine for any of us to inflame an already desperate situation. I have privately contacted people directly affected by current hostilities to express my sadness, offer support, and give my condolences for the tragic losses of life.

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Whilst there have been calls for further comments from voices polarised on either side of this conflict, all I can say in response to them is this: If I believed there were words I could say to calm the violence and save lives, I would offer them in a heartbeat. However, if they seek a comment to bolster a personal position then that’s simply not a priority for me. The people who are trapped in a nightmare of violence are, and I won’t risk adding to their trauma by doing anything other than endorsing my party’s continuing calls to ‘choose the path of de-escalation and ceasefire’. As Alex has said, “there can be no lasting settlement which ignores long-standing United Nations resolutions and there is no path to peace which can be initiated by violence against civilians.”

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There is no argument that can qualify, claim equivalence, or justify the violence we are witnessing. My firm position is that we should all be campaigning for peace.

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At my party’s recent conference, our membership reaffirmed this position and I will dedicate my focus towards those ends in the days ahead.

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For now, our collective efforts should get behind all humanitarian organisations and I ask you to consider supporting appeals from organisations such as Doctor Without Borders, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).