Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf announced in a speech on Wednesday at the Scottish National Party (SNP) conference that his country was ready to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
Yousaf used his position as keynote speaker to accuse UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman of using “dog-whistle language” that appealed to extremists.
“At the Tory conference, the UK home secretary warned about what she described as a ‘hurricane’ of migrants coming to the UK, and other Western, countries," he said.
“When I hear that dog-whistle language, it makes me shudder. It makes me resolve to work even harder for independence - so that Scotland’s immigration policies are decided here in Scotland - never ever again by extremist Westminster politicians.”
Announcing Scotland’s plans to absorb Palestinians
“In the past, people in Scotland and across the UK have opened our hearts and our homes to welcome those from Syria, Ukraine and many other countries. Conference: We must do so again,” Yousaf announced to the SNP conference.
“There are currently one million people displaced within Gaza. Therefore, I’m calling today on the international community to commit to a worldwide refugee program for the people of Gaza," he implored.
“I’m calling on the UK government to take two urgent steps. Firstly, they should begin work on the creation of a refugee resettlement scheme for those in Gaza who want to and are able to leave. When they do so, Scotland is willing to be the first country in the UK to offer safety and sanctuary to those who are caught up in these terrible attacks.”
“Let me be clear: Scotland is ready to play her part. Our hospitals will treat the injured men, women, and children of Gaza where we can.”
Yousaf’s family in Gaza
Yousaf said on October 16 that his wife's parents were fast running out of food and drinking water in Gaza and could die if unable to leave soon.
Yousaf's parents-in-law live in Scotland but were visiting relatives in Gaza when Hamas terrorists poured into Israel and killed Israeli civilians.
Yousaf claimed his in-laws Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla had limited themselves to an egg a day and sips of clean water as they rationed food so there was enough for their grandchildren.
"Their supplies are going to run out very soon. They are down to their last rations... They are obviously thinking about the kids," he told Reuters in an interview, citing information gleaned from short calls over patchy phone lines.
"If the border is not reopened, and there is no way out, people will die... My parents (in law) – I don't think I will see them again."
Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a Western European country in modern times, said Israel had a right to defend itself and expressed "absolute" sympathy for Hamas's victims.
He visited a synagogue in Scotland last week to comfort the family of a Jewish man who died in Israel, telling them: "Your grief is my grief."
Claims Israel is using collective punishment
But he said Israel was imposing an illegal form of collective punishment, and rebuked the British government for giving such robust support to Israel immediately after the attack, without questioning its response.
"There is no doubt that collective punishment is a breach of international law," he said. "I don't know why people are dancing around on that issue. There are rules of engagement."
Scotland has a semi-autonomous government, which is in charge of issues such as health and education. Foreign policy is controlled by the British government in London.
"If we do not act as an international community, it will be a significant stain on our conscience for many years to come," said Yousaf, whose wife was born in Dundee to a Palestinian father and Scottish mother. He added that his brother-in-law, who is a doctor, is having to make decisions about who should be treated, while the hospitals in Gaza run out of body bags.
"They are now having to make that dreadful, horrendous decision about who to treat and who to let die," he lamented.