The Welsh Government recognises Genocide in Gaza – now it must act
Glenn Page – Wales Government and Political Relations Manager at Amnesty International UK
The UK Government announced last week that it would take action against Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. As Amnesty has set out, there are still many questions to answer about the scope, process, and implementation of the measures announced.
But as a start, this announcement is welcome, if not long overdue.
So too is the clarity of the new Welsh Government, with First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth naming what is happening in Gaza for what it is: genocide.
He was right to criticise the UK Government for ‘moving far too slowly’ and equally right to argue that ‘we need to see international pressure being brought to bear on the Israeli government.’
But just as the UK Government must do more, so too must the Welsh Government.
Foreign affairs and arms export licences are reserved to Westminster. The Welsh Government cannot decide whether a company is permitted to export weapons to Israel.
What it can decide, however, is who receives Welsh public money.
In 2025, Amnesty International revealed that the Welsh Government had awarded £500,000 to Senior UK, a company supplying military components directly to Israel, including components for F-35 fighter jets.
A subsequent Freedom of Information request exposed a deeper problem.
The Welsh Government confirmed that it did not undertake a human rights due diligence process before providing financial support to businesses.
Without robust checks, the Welsh Government cannot be sure that Welsh public money is not supporting companies linked to serious violations of international law.
That cannot continue. At a minimum, Welsh public money must be subject to robust human rights scrutiny, now more than ever.
As we saw earlier this month, the Welsh Government supported the Defence, Security and Resilience Cymru Summit in Newport, described by many as the Welsh Government’s arms fair.
Among the companies represented were BAE Systems and General Dynamics, companies with clear links to the supply of arms and military equipment used by Israel to commit war crimes against Palestinians.
Without a human rights framework in place, without Ministers having the tools needed to decide which companies they should and should not support, the Welsh Government risks repeating the same mistakes.
The new Welsh Government has an opportunity to draw a clear line.
It can, and should, introduce a robust and transparent human rights due diligence framework across its grants, business support and public procurement.
In addition, it should review existing support where there is a risk that companies are contributing to Israel’s illegal occupation, ongoing genocide in Gaza, apartheid against Palestinians, or other serious violations of international law.
The Scottish Government has already taken steps in the right direction.
Last year John Swinney announced a ban on arms companies which supply the IDF from getting grants and investment support.
Now that the UK Government has started to take action against Israeli settlements and the Welsh Government has recognised that a genocide is taking place against Palestinians, there can be no doubt that action is needed.
The question is whether the Welsh Government is prepared to apply the same standards to its own decisions that it rightly expects of others.
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Very well said!
Personally, I would prefer Welsh government focusing upon improving pisa results and sort sorting out my dads 24 month waiting list for an operation in North Wales
Strange, whenever we call for the UK government to devolve crown estate funding to Wales, I don’t see your name in the comments.
I just think it’s bizarre- focus on something you can control rather than something you have zero control over. Gaza is miles away, most of us have no connection or will never go.
I used to visit Israel regularly, and to be honest, most people don’t know what Wales is! Just about everybody I spoke needed to be told where Wales was. I don’t think any changes by Welsh government are going to cut through and make much difference.
Anyway, what’s this got to do with Crown estate again?
Read you own comment first if you want to understand why devolving crown estates is so important to the increased funding it brings to Cymru.
I know this sounds out of this world and downright revolutionary – but they could do both
Governments can work on many things.
They can do those you mention and call out a murderous regime.
Well said.
Wales should not blemish its reputation and taint it souls with the evil of the genocidal zionist government with its idf goons a d marauding settlers hell bent on cursing their own lands with the blood of semitic Palestinians.
I’m surprised there isn’t one “what about hezbollah?” comments yet, from those that forget that it’s acceptable to agree that violence from either side can be condemned without showing support for one side of the other.
That is like comparing a hamster poop pellet with the 2 tonnes of reddish brown waste excreted by a blue whale in one go.
The numbers of people lives destroyed and displaced by the evil genocidal zionist regime is monumental.
Oooh, you’ve got a downvote.
That told you!
That is also known as a waste of a comment.
I prefer to call them truth points.
And conveniently fail to mention the truth behind the genocidal murder of over 80000 semitic Palestinians by an evil zionist regime and their idf goons.
Amir, I’m well aware of the child slaughter occurring by Israel.
Then why mention a terrorist group that has no links with Cymru?
Whereas the evil zionist regime does.
Wales is not responsible for international affairs, that is a 100% reserved to Westminster responsibility.
The Senedd has done all it can and should do, by recognizing the genocide for what it is, but no further.
Like others have said, there are more important matters for the Senedd, things that are within its responsibility. If there’s money left over at the end of the day, maybe it could consider action and lobbying on the Israel issue but as we all know, there is no spare money.
Human lives and suffering matter. If they make any gesture or remove any connection between Cymru and an evil murderous genocidal zionist regime, their idf goons and marauding settlers, then Cymru should act.
Lives matter, but maybe not to you.
Depends if you want Wales to stay in its box and be all deferential to Westminster, not get ideas above it’s station stay in its lane and all that.
It must