Orcadian column 19/06/25

It has been one of those weeks when turning on the news or logging into social media is best avoided as the Middle East risks going up in flames following Israel’s pre-emptive attack on Iran. How this ends is hard to predict but as a former chief of Israeli military intelligence observed at the weekend, “Iran can’t beat Israel, but Israel probably doesn’t have the capabilities to entirely destroy Iran’s nuclear programme either”. A diplomatic exit-strategy is required, he added, noting ruefully that Isreal’s Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu “isn’t adept at those.”

Meantime, our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has joined other western leaders in calling for ‘de-escalation”, a plea which looks to be falling on deaf ears at present. As for the US, its strategy is not at all clear, with President Trump initially cautioning Israel against a unilateral attack on Iran. Since then, he has referred to the initial bombardment as ‘excellent’ and refused to rule out getting directly involved, something upon which Benyamin Netanyahu is almost certainly banking.

Not so long ago, having promised to end all conflicts in the Middle East, President Trump was talking up the need for “commerce not chaos” while his representatives were engaged in direct negotiations with Iran over ending the latter’s nuclear programme. Indeed, he previously denounced Barack Obama saying “our President will start a war with Iran because he has no ability to negotiate”. Oh, the irony.

Meanwhile, the Netanyahu regime shows every sign of being out of control both at home and across the region. The Israeli Prime Minister and those around him have taken the accepted right of Israel to defend itself and projected this in ways that far exceed that right, not to mention international law. Any restraint the US administration might once have exerted seems wholly absent at present as the most extreme, right-wing elements in Netanyahu’s government hold sway and call the shots.

Nowhere is this more graphically illustrated than in the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which will be the subject of further debate in the Scottish Parliament this week. I hope to participate, although it feels increasingly impossible to express adequately the sense of horror at what is happening in this beleaguered hell on earth.

It does, though, provide an opportunity for MSPs across the parties to restate parliament’s position on certain fundamentals, even if a longer-term resolution to this most intractable of conflicts and a sustainable peace appear further away than ever. The need for an immediate ceasefire along with the safe release of the remaining hostages is now well beyond urgent. Lifting ongoing restrictions on delivery of humanitarian aid to millions of Gazans in the direst of need must happen without delay. Their plight cannot be allowed to be ignored as the attention of the international community focuses on how to pull Israel and Iran back from the brink.

In this, the UK must step up its efforts and press partners to do likewise. Arms sales to Israel are simply not longer tenable and the case for tighter and wider sanctions is unanswerable. Not sufficient, perhaps, but certainly a reasonable and necessary start.

Finally, and I’m afraid there is no appropriate or comfortable segue from what’s happening in Gaza and the Middle East, but I wanted to finish by paying tribute to Craig McInnes, whose sad and sudden passing this week came as such a shock to all who had the good fortune of knowing him. I found myself in that lucky position as a result of the various roles Craig performed over

the years, from planning to renewable energy and most recently in his capacity as Managing Director at The Orcadian. He was also a fellow coach and valued member of the East United FC family.

Craig was smart, funny and exceptionally hard-working, but always happy to lend a hand wherever and whenever needed. He was someone from whom I regularly sought and took advice, and whose presence, like many, I will greatly miss. His loss, however, will be most keenly felt at home, and I offer my heartfelt condolences to Shona, his children and the wider family at this most difficult of times.