LONDON: Angus Robertson, the Scottish National Party’s external affairs secretary, was under pressure on Sunday to resign after a “secret” meeting with Israel’s deputy ambassador.

The meeting with Israeli envoy Daniela Grudsky, which was said to have been held on Aug. 8, has sparked outrage among SNP parliamentary and party members.

They allege it contradicts the party’s strong stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza and its support for a separate Palestinian state.

The SNP’s Dalkeith branch lodged a motion of censure against Robertson, claiming that the meeting had brought the party into disrepute.

The motion, reported by The Times, argues that action should be taken against Robertson, particularly in light of the International Court of Justice’s recent ruling declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories as unlawful.

The motion criticizes Robertson for discussing “areas of cooperation” with Israel, which it claims defies the court’s recommendation to avoid any actions that might support the ongoing occupation.

The motion also references passionate speeches by former First Minister Humza Yousaf and his wife, Nadia El-Nakla, whose parents were trapped in Gaza last year, as evidence of the SNP’s long-standing condemnation of Israel’s actions.

It concludes that Robertson’s meeting represents a “breach” of public trust and calls for an investigation by the SNP’s conduct committee.

The motion further suggests that Robertson should be suspended as a minister pending a Scottish government investigation.

SNP members and groups, including Scots Asians for Independence, are reportedly seeking enough support for the motion to ensure it is discussed at the party conference in Edinburgh at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Christine Grahame, a senior SNP Scottish parliamentarian, has written to SNP Leader John Swinney, urging action against Robertson.

She expressed her constituents’ shock at what they perceive as the SNP’s apparent endorsement of Israel through this meeting.

Grahame described Robertson as a “liability” and suggested he is no longer a necessary figure on the front bench.

Deputy First Minister Shona Robison addressed the controversy on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sunday Show, acknowledging the upset caused by the meeting.

However, she argued that it was necessary to convey the Scottish government’s strong position on the need for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the killing of innocent civilians.

The controversy follows the SNP’s decision to strip John Mason, the Glasgow Shettleston Scottish parliamentarian, of the party whip after he downplayed Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Shettleston has stated that Tel Aviv’s actions did not amount to “genocide” and that Israel could have “killed many many more” Palestinians if that had been its intent.

The SNP criticized Mason for “flippantly” dismissing the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians.