A SNP MSP has been expelled from the party for insisting there was “no genocide” in Gaza.

John Mason, the long-serving MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, also said “if Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed many many more”.

The party veteran was investigated by the SNP over the social media comments and Mr Mason said that he had now been informed that he would be expelled from the party.

He told the BBC on Monday that he was “incredibly disappointed” by the decision but stood by his remarks, claiming there should be room for divergent views in the SNP on issues other than Scottish independence.

He also said he did not understand the party policy he was disagreeing with, as he continued to support a two-state solution.

While the SNP has been fiercely critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza,  Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has not endorsed the view that the country is committing genocide.

‘Extremely disappointing’

“To be expelled over a disagreement over the definition of a word – an important word, genocide – but to be expelled for that reason is extremely disappointing,” he said.

“I do not think Israel has committed genocide. There is a war going on. Lives have been lost, desperately sadly, as they have been in Ukraine, as they have been in every war.

“But there is a difference between war and genocide and to say that every war is genocide is not the way we use that word.

“We don’t tend to say that the bombing of German cities was genocide, we don’t tend to say that Hiroshima was genocide – these were acts of war, maybe disproportionate.

“Genocide is a very serious word. To just mix up the words genocide and war is not accurate.”

A letter from the SNP Member Conduct Committee, which ruled Mr Mason should be expelled, said he was claiming to be the “arbiter” of what is considered genocide and had misrepresented party policy. Mr Mason denied this and said he is considering an appeal.

‘Allow a bit of latitude’

He said there was not “a lot of sympathy for me in the room” when he met the committee on Saturday to discuss the matter and that he felt members had “made up their minds that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza”.

He added: “On issues like this that are not central to independence, we should allow a bit of latitude so that no one person is the arbiter of a word like genocide.”

He said he had hoped that the SNP would instead be “tolerant on issues like this” and allow for a “big tent” approach.

The SNP initially took a hard line with Mr Mason in August when the leadership faced a major backlash from members over Angus Robertson, the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs, meeting with an Israeli diplomat.

Mr Robertson apologised after Mr Swinney, who had authorised the meeting in advance, faced calls to sack him.

The SNP have said they cannot comment on a disciplinary process which is ongoing as Mr Mason still has a right to appeal. At the time of his initial suspension, a spokesman for the SNP chief whip described his comments as “utterly abhorrent”.

He also faced a backlash from other senior party figures, such as former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who accused Mr Mason of glorifying “killing and murder” with his comments.

Mr Mason, a devout Christian, has previously provoked controversy for opposing “buffer zones” that ban vigils outside abortion clinics.