Campaigners call on First Minister to help stop weapons made in Wales from being exported to Israel

Martin Shipton

Supporters of Palestine have called on Eluned Morgan to do what she can to stop weapons made in Wales from being exported to Israel.

In an open letter to the First Minister, Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru acknowledged that the Welsh Government had no direct power to halt arms sales, but suggested she could bring pressure to bear in other ways.

‘Taking a stand’

The letter said: “As a former MEP and former Minister for International Relations in the Senedd, we are sure that you agree on the importance of elected representatives taking a stand on world affairs, and working to end injustice.

“The Welsh Government does not have direct power over international relations, but we welcome the Senedd’s vote last year calling for a ceasefire, and the Welsh Government’s subsequent endorsement of this stance. We believe that, despite the power restrictions, the Welsh Government has many tools within its grasp to make a difference in relation to Palestine.

“We welcome the recent move by the UK Government to suspend some arms export licences to Israel, but only 30 out of 350 such licences have been suspended – this does not go far enough. The Welsh Government cannot initiate or stop such licences, but arms and technological companies in Wales, such as Elbit System, GE Aviation, General Dynamics, Qioptiq and others manufacture products that the Israeli Government utilises in its offensive on Palestine.

“We therefore call on you to stop Welsh arms manufacturers from producing and selling arms to Israel. Companies based in Wales should not produce arms or munitions that are used to commit war crimes. We support a just transition, so that workers in the arms sector can move to the ethical industries of the future. We ask that you work alongside trade unions as part of the social partnership process in developing and shaping the green, ethical jobs of the future.

“PSC research has uncovered that many local authority pension funds invest in companies that create products and technology for Israel. Israel is only able to maintain their oppression of the Palestinian people due to the complicit companies.

“The research includes companies who do business with or in Israel’s settlements which are built on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The illegality of the settlements, as I am sure you are aware, have been repeatedly stated by the international community. Crucially, in July the ICJ ruled, inter alia, that Israel’s occupation of all Palestinian territory is illegal and must be ended as rapidly as possible and that all States must not regard the occupation as legal and must not ‘render aid or assistance in maintaining’ this situation.

Unethical

They added: “Investment in these companies is not only unethical, but is financially risky. The FCO’s [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s] own guidance states ’clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements.’ Internationally, several pension funds have acknowledged this, and have taken steps to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s violations.

“Across the UK, including in Wales, we are campaigning for local authorities to end LGPS funds complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses. Our ‘No Gwent in Genocide’ Campaign has been active in calling on councils in Gwent to divest from pension fund investments linked to human rights violations in Palestine. PSC members in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Ceredigion, Monmouthshire and Cardiff are calling for similar action from their councils.

“The Welsh Government provides significant funding to enable Welsh local authorities to deliver public services locally. We call on you to engage with council leaders and Welsh Local Government Association representatives to ask that they carry out research at every local authority level to examine the percentage of reserves and pensions that are invested in such companies, and to support them in amending, or to write new pension fund investment policies to exclude from eligibility all complicit entities.

“The same policies should be applied to all local authority procurement, this would be in line with the socially responsible procurement goals stated in the Welsh Social Partnership and Public Procurement Act 2023. In addition, we ask you to commission an urgent review of Welsh Government finances to establish whether any public money is being invested in, or used to procure goods/services from, complicity entities.

“The Welsh Government has provided support to other countries at various junctures. For example, the Wales and Africa programme works across the Welsh Government to take advantage of opportunities to build links with sub-Saharan Africa. With regards the War on Ukraine, the former First Minister Vaughan Gething said ‘we are fully supportive of any measures to support Ukraine’.

“Scotland, another devolved nation, pledged £750,000 to Palestine, to be administered via support agencies. We call on you as the new First Minister of Wales to initiate a similar fund, to contribute towards supporting Palestinians to rebuild their lives. Wales has a history of solidarity – during the Spanish Civil War we opened our homes to child refugees from the Basque countries. We can, and should, continue that internationalist socialist legacy.

“These are some examples of actions that the Welsh Government could take. There are other such actions in the realm of supporting Palestinian families in Wales, developing educational links with Palestinian Universities, or amending diplomatic relationships with Israel in light of this conflict.

“Nonetheless, we do not wish to make this letter too extensive. To that end, we would like to offer that a small delegation of PSC Cymru meets with you and your officials to discuss pensions and arms manufacturing in particular.

“We appreciate that there are many conflicting priorities within the Welsh Government, but the atrocities in Palestine, day in day out, cannot and should not be ignored by us here in Wales. We have a moral duty to humanity to act decisively and assuredly for peace and for justice for the Palestinian people.”

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government would only say that the letter would be responded to.