MSPs urged to support end to public grants for genocide profiteers
The Scottish Greens have urged MSPs from all parties to support their call for an end to public grants for arms companies implicated in Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza.
The motion will be heard today in a Green opposition debate led by Scottish Green Co-leader Lorna Slater.
The Scottish Government has rightly and strongly opposed the bombing and collective punishment of Gaza. Despite this, since the war began, it has given over £1 million to companies that have armed Israel via Scottish Enterprise.
Ms Slater said:
“The Scottish Government rightly called for a ceasefire in Gaza when Westminster refused to, but it has continued to support companies who have enabled the killing.
“Fundamentally, this is a debate about our values and the sort of country we want to be. The Scottish Government may not be able to set UK foreign policy, but it can decide which companies it supports and the criteria it applies for doing so.
“If a company is profiting from war crimes and genocide, it should not be receiving public money from our government.”
In 2018, the Scottish Greens secured new requirements for Scottish public bodies to conduct human rights checks for grant applicants. Despite this, Scottish Enterprise has continued to fund the world’s biggest arms dealers.
Ms Slater added:
“These human rights checks are clearly not good enough. If firms who have profited from some of the worst atrocities of this century are not beyond the pale then who is?
“I hope all MSPs who have backed a ceasefire and condemned the destruction of Gaza will join us in saying enough is enough and calling for these grants to be halted.”