John Mason MSP expelled from SNP over Gaza comments

A veteran MSP has been expelled from the SNP over comments on the war in Gaza the party described as “completely unacceptable”.

John Mason had posted on X, formerly Twitter, in August that Israel’s conduct in the region did not amount to genocide.

“There is no genocide,” he wrote. “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed many more people.”

Very disappointed to be expelled from @theSNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide. I continue to believe that we should be able to tolerate a variety of views within the Party as long as we are all committed to Scottish independence.
— John Mason (@JohnMasonMSP) October 13, 2024

He also said: “I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.

“They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done.

“That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many.”

If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many.
— John Mason (@JohnMasonMSP) August 16, 2024

Shortly after the posts, the SNP stripped him of the party whip, with a spokesperson accusing him of “flippantly dismissing the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians”, adding that it was “completely unacceptable”.

A spokesperson for the SNP chief whip said that there could be “no room” in the party for “this kind of intolerance”.

In a statement to STV News following the row, Mason said he is “obviously disappointed” about the decision but that it will “work its way through the Party process in the usual way”.

He added that “too many lives have already been lost” in the conflict and his “primary desire” was for peace in the region.

In the days following, the Glasgow Shettleston MSP said he “completely stands by” the post.

Mason said he had not foreseen losing the whip due to his remarks, adding: “I’m not someone who foresees the future exactly, but sometimes you have to do the right thing and just take the consequences.”

On Sunday, October 13, Mason revealed he had been removed from the SNP.

“Very disappointed to be expelled from the SNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide,” he posted on social media.

“I continue to believe that we should be able to tolerate a variety of views within the Party as long as we are all committed to Scottish independence.”