A vote on whether Argyll & Bute Council should call for a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict was held last week, with councillors voting in favour of an amendment.
SNP councillor for Cowal, Gordon Blair proposed an initial motion at a council meeting on Thursday November 23, calling on the UK Government to back a ceasefire in the region.
It is estimated that 1,200 people were killed when Hamas members invaded Southern Israel on October 7, sparking a prolonged Israeli assault on Gaza that its government says has killed around 14,500 people.
Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to pause fighting for four days from Friday November 23, with 50 hostages held in Gaza expected to be released as part of an exchange.
Councillor Blair’s motion said: “Argyll and Bute Council, already home to refugees from across the world, calls on the UK Government to fully support a ceasefire in Gaza and support the immediate establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the displaced and the distribution of essential supplies of food and life saving medication.
“The people of Argyll and Bute will continue to support refugees in our communities in a caring, peaceful, just and fair society.”
This motion was seconded by Lomond North Independent, councillor Mark Irvine, with an amendment tabled by Oban South and the Isles Independent, councillor Andrew Kain.
Councillor Kain said: “Argyll & Bute Council are dismayed to see the situation in the Middle East and call on the international community to continue to engage in constructive dialogue to reach a solution to this fast moving situation as quickly as possible.
“Argyll & Bute Council continue to support refugees in our communties through the Refugee Resettlement Programme and welcome the multi-agency partnership approach to integration – support across the authority to ensure they are enabled to fully participate in community life.
“It’s a hugely emotive issue and in any war the first casualty is truth, and while we can understand the emotive attachment to condemning it, we must be aware of the broader issues. That this isn’t something that just started on the 7th of October and it has quite a history.”
He added: “In many ways – the popular view is that there should be a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement and no one would disagree with that, but the fundamentals of the situation are such that it’s difficult to conceive of a negotiated settlement with the circumstances.
“I would suggest it is impossible to have a negotiated settlement where one party there is in no position on which to negotiate when they’re looking for the destruction of a whole society.”
This amendment was seconded by Cowal Scottish Conservative, councillor Yvonne McNeilly and was carried with 17 votes to 15 votes cast for the motion.
Independent for South Kintyre, Tommy Macpherson was the only councillor to abstain.
He said: “There should be no appeasement in this circumstance. We have known it’s gone on for decades and I just feel that we’re appeasing a group of terrorists and it’s been circumnavigated here today.”