Getty ImagesAn MSP who was expelled from the SNP over social media posts about the Israel-Gaza war says he stands by his comments.
John Mason said he was “incredibly disappointed” to be expelled, but was “happy” to repeat the comments that led to his initial suspension.
The Glasgow Shettleston MSP had the whip removed in August following a post on X that there was “no genocide” in Gaza.
He said he was considering appealling his expulsion, which was confirmed on Saturday.
The SNP have said they cannot comment on ongoing disciplinary process.
At the time of his initial suspension, a spokesperson for the SNP chief whip described Mason’s comments as “utterly abhorrent”.
‘Extremely disappointing’
Mason – who had been an SNP MSP for 16 years – told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “To be expelled over a disagreement over the definition of a word – an important word, genocide – but to be expelled for that reason is extremely disappointing.”
He said he was “happy” to repeat his claims.
“There is a war going on,” the MSP, who will now sit at Holyrood as an independent, said.
“Lives have been lost, desperately sadly, as they have been in Ukraine, as they have been in every war.
“But there is a difference between war and genocide and to say that every war is genocide is not the way we use that word.”
He said he “totally regretted” the loss of life but that Israel feels “very threatened”.
Mason told the BBC: “We don’t tend to say that the bombing of German cities was genocide, we don’t tend to say that Hiroshima was genocide – these were acts of war, maybe disproportionate.
“Genocide is a very serious word,” he added. “To just mix up the words genocide and war is not accurate.”
The SNP Member Conduct Committee, which ruled that Mason should be expelled, accused Mason of claiming to be the “arbiter” of what is considered to be genocide, describing that as “unacceptable and offensive”.
In a letter to the MSP, the committee also said he had misrepresented SNP policy and had shown “no contrition”.
Mason denied was was claiming to be the “arbiter” of what was genocide and called for the party to be “tolerant” on such issues.
He said the SNP should be a “big tent”, adding: “On issues like this that are not central to independence, we should allow a bit of latitude so that no one person is the arbiter of a word like genocide.”
The Shettleston MSP said he supported the party in calling for a two-state solution the conflict, but said he did not understand the party policy he is accused of disagreeing with.
Mason, 67, said he had already decided to retire at the next election, scheduled for 2026.
He has been given 21 days to appeal but said he would be prepared see out the remainder of the term as an independent.
The MSP added: “If I am independent then I have a bit more freedom but I will be doing all I can to support the SNP.”
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
Since then, more than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
