John Swinney today refused to apologise for raising recognition of a Palestinian state at a vigil for Hamas victims.
The SNP leader was booed by a furious crowd as he spoke at an event at Holyrood to mark the second anniversary of the October 7 atrocities.
But asked whether he regretted making the remarks last week, the Scottish First Minister said it would have been 'hypocritical' not to mention his views on Palestine.
At the vigil, Mr Swinney said believed a Palestinian state was a 'necessary route to securing peace in the Middle East'.
But his address was met with loud chants of 'Bring them home', in reference to the hostages still held by the Palestinian terror group.
Mr Swinney said his job as First Minister was to 'bring our communities together and to ensure that everyone in our society can live in peace and solidarity and safety'.
John Swinney today refused to apologise for raising recognition of a Palestinian state at a vigil for Hamas victims
He added that he stood 'with you in remembrance of those who have lost their lives, I stand in solidarity demanding the release of the hostages and I stand with you demanding peace for all and that we may live in harmony together'.
The SNP leader was booed again as he left the stage outside the Scottish parliament.
Timothy Lovat, chairman of the Jewish Council of Scotland, said he had warned Mr Swinney beforehand that he would be in for a rough ride.
He said: 'He is the First Minister of Scotland and he is expected to attend a vigil like this, I just wish he'd toned down his rhetoric on Palestine previously.'
Mr Swinney was asked by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg this morning if he wanted to apologise for talking about a Palestinian state at the vigil.
He said he 'completely understood' the distress being felt by the Jewish community over the 'heinous' attacks by Hamas.
'I was there as First Minister to demonstrate solidarity and empathy with the Jewish community and to assure them of their safety,' Mr Swinney added.
'But I think people would accuse me of being a hypocrite if I hadn't set out what is my view about how peace can be achieved in the Middle East.
'I think peace can only be achieved in the middle East if there is a two-state solution involving a sovereign Palestinian state.'
Earlier this month Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy faced chants of 'shame on you' as he appeared at a vigil for victims of the Manchester attack.
