THE Scottish government’s bond deal with Barclays shows it “isn’t even doing the basics” to deliver on its vow to boycott and divest from Israel, said the Scottish Greens today.

Today marked a year since Holyrood voted for an immediate boycott of the pariah state.

Finance Secretary Jenny Gilruth on Tuesday confirmed that ministers did not regard working with Barclays as a boycott breach in a response to a written question from Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer.

She accepted that “exploitation of assets in illegally occupied territories may constitute grave professional misconduct and could provide grounds for exclusion.”

The bank holding more than £2 billion of shares in, and lavishing over £6.1bn in loans and underwriting on, nine companies central to supplying weapons and technology routinely used by the Israeli regime to terrorise, torture and kill Palestinians was not enough to see Barclays blocked, according to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

“The procurement process was assessed against the relevant procurement requirements, including the applicable exclusion grounds and selection criteria,” she added.

Mr Greer said: “Our Parliament voted to boycott apartheid Israel, but the Scottish government isn’t even doing the basics.

“What is the point of applying a test so weak that a bank closely linked to Israel can pass it? 

“If Barclays is not covered by the boycott, then what more would a company have to do to fall foul of it?”

“Paying lip service is not enough. 

“Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, while Barclays have supported those profiting from the destruction.

“If ministers are serious about their commitment to boycott and divest from Israel, they need to stop hiding behind vague words and start actually delivering what MSPs voted for.”