MSP travels to Middle East

Mr Quinan is travelling to the Middle East

An MSP is travelling to Tel Aviv to give an "eye-witness account" of the on-going crisis in the Middle East for people living in Scotland.

Lloyd Quinan, vice-convener of Holyrood's Cross-Party Group on Palestine, hopes to visit East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Bethlehem during a week-long tour of the troubled region.

The list MSP is joining efforts to provide aid to people within the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, under the auspices of the Red Crescent and the International Solidarity Movement.

Lloyd Quinan: "Great level of concern"

Mr Quinan said he also hoped to gain access to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's West Bank headquarters in Ramallah.

The MSP said he was going on behalf of the cross-party group and following a "great level of concern" by Scots about recent events.

He said: "I've been getting telephone calls, letters and e-mails from people from across Scotland on the issue, many asking why the Scottish Parliament is doing nothing.

"Obviously we do not have the power to do anything, but the best I can do is to go out there and give an eye-witness account of what's happening."

"I'm going out with the Red Crescent and the International Solidarity Movement in an attempt to get medicine and humanitarian aid to the people under siege in the Church of the Nativity.

"I also hope to meet President Arafat, along with members of the Red Crescent and Red Cross, but this is all dependent on the Israeli security forces lifting its siege of the presidential compound."

He added: "The principal aim is to take food, water and medical supplies, all of which have been cut off."