Scottish Government Pauses Funding Arms Firms Supplying Israel Amid Gaza Crisis

Scottish First Minister John Swinney announced a pause on new public funding to arms companies in Scotland that supply Israel, citing plausible evidence of genocide in Gaza. This pause affects funding from the Scottish Government, Scottish National Investment Bank, and enterprise agencies, though existing apprenticeship funding will be honored. The decision reverses a previous ban on funding munitions firms, recognizing the importance of defense amid conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, but excludes companies involved militarily with Israel. Swinney also called for the UK Government to recognize Palestine, withdraw from the UK-Israel free trade agreement, and cease military cooperation with Israel. Alongside this, humanitarian aid funding was pledged to support Gaza, including establishing a deployable hospital and contributions to a UN-led humanitarian fund. The Scottish Government’s move has been praised by organizations like Oxfam Scotland as a crucial moral stance, while also addressing criticism related to prior financial support for these arms companies.