OFFICIAL records of former Scottish culture secretary Angus Robertson’s controversial meeting with an Israeli diplomat were changed before being released to the public.
The minutes of Robertson’s August 2024 meeting with Daniela Grudsky, the Israeli deputy ambassador to the UK, were altered to put Gaza higher up the agenda and remove reference to the SNP minister presenting Scotland as a destination for Israeli businesses, The Ferret has reported.
The now-former SNP minister’s meeting with Grudsky was revealed after the Israeli diplomat posted about it on social media, sparking a backlash which has been cited as a reason why Robertson lost his Edinburgh Central seat to the Scottish Greens in the 2026 Holyrood elections.
Thank you @AngusRobertson for welcoming us to wonderful Scotland. Discussed the unique commonalities between 🇮🇱-🏴 and also emphasized the urgent need to bring back our 115 hostages. Looking forward to cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy. pic.twitter.com/sh2KeqRa9j
— Daniela Grudsky (@DanielaGrudsky) August 12, 2024
Robertson was ultimately forced to issue a statement in which he apologised for not having discussions “strictly limited to the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the appalling loss of life in the region”.
Now, documents released to The Ferret under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws have suggested that Gaza was much lower down the agenda of the meeting than had been recorded in the official minutes.
Initially, civil servants’ record of the meeting said that antisemitism was the first topic of discussion, but this was later adjusted to be Gaza after Robertson’s intervention, The Ferret reported.
Redrafts at the former SNP minister’s request also reportedly saw all mention of discussions of Scotland’s screen industry or the country as a destination for Israeli business removed.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said that meeting minutes would go through a drafting process “as standard to ensure the final version represents an accurate account”.
“The Scottish Government’s consistent and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza was made clear during the meeting. There have been no further ministerial meetings with the government of Israel since,” the spokesperson added.
The Scottish Greens, however, said that the altered minutes looked “like the Scottish Government trying to rewrite history”.
University of Edinburgh professor James Mitchell said he would be “very surprised if officials erred to the extent suggested by the revisions”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie added: “Instead of the Scottish Government seeking to manipulate the record of this important and sensitive meeting, Angus Robertson should not have mishandled it in the first place.
“He and the Scottish Government should have been up front about what happened at the meeting and apologised for their cack-handed approach.”
