Conservative Members of the Scottish Parliament this week attended a packed inaugural meeting of the Israel Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament, ‘Building Bridges with Israel’.
The MSPs focused discussions on Israeli culture, and had on display five paintings from ‘The Women and their Olive Trees’ collection, which features artwork from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Circassian Israeli women.
A representative from the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre also enlightened the meeting about how the Centre is preserving historical archives from Scottish Jewish families.
Jackson Carlaw MSP, said in September 2016 when the group was founded, that its purpose “is about engaging with Israel and building links based on business, culture and education as well as exploring and countering issues of anti-Semitism at home and abroad”.
Mr Carlaw, who is convener of the group, added: “Far too often in The Scottish Parliament we have simply had an undiluted view from one side of this debate and thankfully this group will be here to remedy that”.
In August 2016, CFI led its first-ever delegation of 10 Scottish Conservatives to Israel and the West Bank, including Chief Whip John Lamont MSP, and the Director of the Scottish Conservatives Lord McInnes CBE.
