A message from Scotland to Donald Trump: It's time to call Benjamin Netanyahu and end Gaza's nightmare
If Donald Trump can stop the carnage in Gaza, he would surely have a good chance of winning the Nobel Peace Prize that he covets
Mr President, arriving on your golfing trip to Scotland, you will not be surprised to hear that a large majority of Scots in this great country, where your mother Mary was born, are not supportive of or sympathetic to the first six months of your presidency.
In particular, they are concerned about how the international order has been turned upside down, undermining any sense of global cohesion, and the tragic and inhuman treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, where a ceasefire is long overdue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “out of control” and acting “like a madman”, say your senior White House staff, according to news website Axios. Mr President, you must know this is the time to act.
Scots are angry about the savage cuts to overseas aid undertaken by your worst apprentice, Elon Musk, now fired, hopefully never to return. Is America indifferent to the idea of providing food, education, hope and healthcare to the world’s most disadvantaged, especially children? This cannot be right. Surely your Maga supporters are not so mean or lacking in compassion.
READ MORE: Save Ibrahim's children: World must persuade Israel to stop 'inhumane killing of civilians' in Gaza
‘No man is an island’
Ukraine is also of great concern to Scots. You now appreciate the destructive and dishonest nature of Putin and once again you are providing essential weapons and support to President Volodymyr Zelensky. A new page is being written in the aftermath of the ambush and ridicule of the Ukrainian leader in the White House, clumsily aided by your vice-president, JD Vance.
This stirred a great deal of anger. Ukraine must win against Putin and destroy his attempts to build a new Russian Empire to replace the old Soviet Union. Putin is a mafia-style authoritarian thug, a massive threat to Europe, and deserving of extensive new sanctions to curtail his territorial ambitions. The Baltic states remain especially vulnerable to Russian aggression.
Nato has accepted and acted upon your ideas of spending more on defence and security. As a reliable ally, there must be no weakening of support from the US. English poet and writer John Donne wrote in 1623 that “no man is an island, entire of itself”. America needs Europe. There is no such thing as national self-sufficiency, and isolationism is a mistake. Your more recent remarks on Nato are encouraging.
An act of genocide
However, our main concern and the focus of real anger and frustration in Scotland is Gaza. Netanyahu is responsible for spreading hate, fear and revenge, and his government is now committing what can only be described as an act of genocide. He has become an embarrassment to the ideals of humanity, morality, and decency. Scots know that you can end this carnage.
That’s why you must make the call to Netanyahu, to end the killing fields of Gaza, secure an immediate ceasefire and help remove from office a pariah who is doing enormous damage not only to Israel, but also to your presidency.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, talking about plans to deport Gazans to a so-called “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza – where Palestinians would be screened before entering and stopped from leaving – has described this as a “concentration camp”. It is time for the current Israeli Prime Minister and his ultra-nationalist fanatics to be booted out of office. It is time to recognise the state of Palestine.
Blame for this continuing stain on humanity is, rightly or wrongly, being laid at your door, Mr President. Scots and Europeans want the most powerful politician in the world to stop Netanyahu pursuing his own gruesome political goals.
A moral issue
Any semblance of global governance is dying in this world of division and hate. Israel, a proud country, is unfortunately hurtling towards pariah status in a world tiring of its government’s obvious hatred of Palestinians, desire to obliterate Gaza, annex the West Bank and destroy any prospects of a two-state solution. Antisemitism is despicable, but it is not a comfort blanket to defend the indefensible.
This is a moral issue. This is about humanity. Scots are sickened by the images of destruction and death being shown nightly on TV screens in this country, but possibly not shown in Israel.
Crimes against humanity are piling up. Netanyahu seems content to tolerate people being denied vital medicines and systematically starved, emaciated bodies of children and babies, children being slaughtered as they wait for food, hospitals and medical staff being bombed, whole families wiped out, homes levelled to rubble, and the West Bank being terrorised by Israeli settlers.
Children reduced to skin and bones are even being refused access to medical help in other countries. Every death is dismissed by the Israel Defence Force as a consequence of “targeted strikes on Hamas leaders” or, rarely, a ‘fog of war’ mistake.
Act now
Mr President, the United States must act now or forever be associated with this catastrophe, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Surely you and your Maga supporters don’t agree with any of this?
Before his funeral, which you attended, Pope Francis phoned every day to the Holy Family Catholic church in Gaza as an act of faith and solidarity. Last week the church was bombed and people were killed. This must have got to you.
The IDF apologised for its “stray ammunition”. How long, Mr President, will you tolerate this nightmare? Only you have the might of America and the means to step in and halt the killings, release the hostages, free the Gazans, support a two-state solution and restore sanity. What’s holding you back?
There is talk of a Nobel Peace prize. India and Israel have nominated you. But rescuing Gaza is your big, beautiful and best bet!
You have described Putin as “crazy”. Absolutely right. What about Netanyahu? In an appropriate and authentic comment when talking about Iran and Israel, you said, “they don’t know what the f*** they are doing”. Your instincts say it all. Mr President, it’s time to make that call.
Henry McLeish is a former First Minister of Scotland
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