Scottish Green MSP ‘liked’ antisemitic social media post

An MSP is facing calls for her suspension and an “unequivocal apology” after she endorsed a “vile” antisemitic post on social media. Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Greens MSP for Highlands & Islands, is reported to have “liked” the image, which depicted the Israeli flag with a swastika on it, covered in blood. Most commented 1 Zelensky repeats offer to hold elections if Russia agrees to ceasefire Russia-Ukraine war 2,021 comments 2 Tiger kills man who ‘jumped’ into pen at Yorkshire Wildlife Park 789 comments The image was posted on Instagram and Facebook by John Finnie, the former SNP and Green MSP , who has also made posts describing Israeli soldiers as “Nazis in action”, referred to “blood-thirsty Zionists”, and shared a cartoon depicting an Israeli soldier in a Nazi military uniform. Politics newsletter Get our daily insider’s guide to Westminster, plus a rundown of PMQs every Wednesday. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Politics newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Politics newsletter Explore our newsletters Ross Greer, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, last week described Zionism — defined as the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East — as “racist”, after the claim was adopted as Green Party policy south of the border. Top stories 1 Starbucks ‘explores takeover’ of Chipotle Mexican Grill US business The board of the Jewish Council of Scotland called for the Scottish Greens to take action against Burgess. It said: “Depicting the Israeli flag with a blood-covered swastika is grotesque and antisemitic. It exploits the murder of six million Jews to demonise the Jewish state. A serving MSP endorsing such imagery owes Scotland’s Jewish community an explanation and an unequivocal apology. Comparing Israeli soldiers to Nazis is repugnant, dehumanising language. Advertisement “Politicians have every right to criticise the Israeli government and its military actions . That does not excuse Holocaust inversion or stripping people of their humanity. Top stories 1 Mortgage rates dip after weeks of painful rises Mortgages “Coming alongside the Greens’ decision to treat Zionism as racism, this raises serious questions about whether Jewish concerns are being heard at all within the party. Scotland’s Jews should not have to keep explaining why the Holocaust must not be weaponised against them. The Scottish Greens’ leadership must publicly condemn this material, investigate its endorsement by Ariane Burgess and make clear what action will follow.” How pro-Palestine activists tried to take over the Green Party Rachael Hamilton MSP, the deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “It is utterly sickening that a serving Greens MSP has endorsed this vile antisemitic post. It can never be excused, and Ariane Burgess’s explanation simply isn’t believable. “Antisemitism and supporting images like this is growing among Green politicians across the UK. Scottish Greens co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay should grow a backbone and suspend Ariane Burgess from their party. They simply cannot remain silent on what she has done.” Advertisement Greer said last week that, while he did not agree with all parts of a motion passed at the England and Wales Green Party conference, he considered the creation of Israel to have been “an act of racism”. Some Jewish groups called the Green Party motion an “attack on the Jewish community”, and Israel’s foreign ministry said it was “a stain on the history of the United Kingdom”. Figures within the party have been divided on the issue. The European Green Party has sought to “unequivocally distance” itself from the vote. The Green Party motion at its conference defined Zionism as an ideology supporting “an ethno-nationalist Jewish state”. It also backed a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine”, the BBC reported. Scotland newsletter Your weekend briefing from the Scotland edition of The Times and The Sunday Times. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Scotland newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Scotland newsletter Explore our newsletters Jewish groups have described Zionism as “anti-racism, creating a refuge for Jews in their ancient homeland after millennia of persecution outside it”. Burgess, who was elected as Highland & Islands list MSP in 2021, told the Scottish Mail on Sunday that she had liked the post “in error”. “It has only come to my attention today, and it appears this post was liked in error,” she said. “It was not my intention to cause any harm, but I accept that the post liked by my account was clearly inappropriate and distasteful and any interaction with it could be upsetting or distressing. I never want anyone to feel alienated, hurt or disappointed by my interactions on social media or in person.” Advertisement The Scottish Greens were contacted for comment.