Scottish Greens co-leader struggles to say whether Israel has right to exist

When pushed on whether Jews have a right to a homeland in the Middle East, Mackay paused again before replying: “I think they absolutely have should have the right to have somewhere to be and to be able to live in peace.”

She also spoke about the Greens’ Zionism is Racism policy. “I don’t think the conversation at that point is helpful because it focusses on definitions rather than actually focusing on how we achieve peace for the region as a whole... [We need to] make sure that self-determination for those there is what we’re talking about - and how we get to that point of peace,” she said, according to The National.

Moving on to talk about antisemitism, she said: “We absolutely condemn antisemitism in absolutely all of its forms and we want to see peace in the Middle East and self-determination for the people that are there.

“I think constantly having politicians from other places say what should and shouldn’t be the thing for those people I don’t think is always particularly helpful.

“But I think we need to make sure that self-determination piece is what we strive for.”

And asked if she herself saw Zionism as racist, Mackay said: “I don’t think anybody can look at what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank at the moment and not see that the realisation of that political ideology is racist.

“It’s resulted in the displacement of millions of Palestinians, the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, and I don’t think anybody looking at the situation objectively could come to any other conclusion.”