SCOTLAND must stop North Sea oil from being used to exploit citizens in Gaza, former first minister Humza Yousaf has said.
Writing in the Scotland on Sunday, the Glasgow Pollok MSP said that profits from Scotland’s oil and gas reserves are funding a company “linked to human rights violations in Palestine”.
Ithaca Energy, one of the largest producers of fossil fuels in Scottish waters that has stakes in Rosebank and Cambo fields, is majority-owned by Israeli fuel conglomerate Delek Group.
Yousaf writes that Delek Group “has been flagged by the UN for human rights violations in Palestine”, operates in illegal Israeli settlements and is known to, through a subsidiary, provide fuel to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
“There is near-universal agreement across the world that settlements are illegal under international law,” Yousaf wrote.
“We have, over the past 19 months, seen an increase in settler violence against innocent Palestinians.
“By their very nature, settlements are a tool used by the Israeli state to occupy more and more Palestinian land. This is why countries like Ireland are now taking steps to ban trade with Israeli businesses in occupied territories.
“We also know Delek’s activities in illegal settlements was one of the reasons Norway’s largest pension fund, KLP, divested from Delek Group in 2021 citing an ‘unacceptable risk of the company contributing to or being responsible for serious breaches of ethical norms’.
“A company that is cited by the UN for possible human rights violations, and which has a contract with the IDF who are responsible for the mass slaughter of tens of thousands of children in Gaza, should not be allowed to profit from Scotland’s resources.”
In January, the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled that consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields was granted unlawfully. This meant their owners would have to seek fresh approval from the UK Government before starting production.
Then in March, ahead of the Spring Statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the two fields will get the go ahead from the UK Government.
Yousaf argued that allowing Ithaca to expand its operations in the North Sea would be the wrong move.
“We cannot allow oil fields signed off in Westminster to be used to bankroll injustice across the world,” he said.
“I am certain that one day those who are responsible for the war crimes we are witnessing in Gaza will be held to account.
“We must ensure we are in no way complicit; Scotland must not allow our natural resources to become a revenue stream for companies tied to the oppression of the Palestinian people.”
It comes after Yousaf slammed Labour’s immigration crackdowns and the rise of Reform UK in a speech.
