FIRST Minister John Swinney has announced a range of measures against Israel amid its genocide in Gaza.
The announcement in Holyrood included the news that Scotland will stop providing public funds to firms arming Israel.
Swinney further called for the UK to withdraw from the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement and follow the example of Ireland to "prohibit the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories".
It comes after the Scottish Government said it would consider a state boycott of Israel in August – and the SNP Cabinet met on Tuesday to discuss what measures will be taken.
Speaking to MSPs on Wednesday, Swinney said: "We will pause new awards of public money to arms companies whose products or services are provided to countries where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by that country.
"That will include Israel."
The pause is expected to apply to new grants provided, or investments made, by the Scottish Government, the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank.
"Any defence company seeking support from the Scottish Government will have to demonstrate that its products are not involved militarily with Israel," Swinney explained.
He further urged for the UK Government to review steps to be takin in line with the UK's "duty in international law to respond when there is a serious risk of genocide".
Swinney further announced a £400,000 grant to Kids Operating Room for the establishment of a Gaza HOPES Field Readiness Hub in Scotland, co-ordinated from Dundee.
He stated: "This funding will help unlock $15m of additional funding to deliver a rapidly deployable hospital in Gaza. Designed in Scotland to be built in just a week, it can operate in the most challenging environments, and last for decades. It will provide essential surgical, maternity and paediatric services to thousands of patients every year."
A further £600,000 with be donated to the UNOCHA led Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The First Minister concluded: "We are witnessing a humanitarian disaster of historic proportions. And yet, the bombs continue to fall. The world cannot wait for a final court ruling before acting. The signs are clear. The alarm has been raised.
"The bombs and rockets must stop. Humanitarian aid must flow.
"The international community, including the UK Government, must recognise a Palestinian state as the first step towards peace and a two-state solution. A solution where the peoples of both Israel and Palestine can live side-by-side in peace and security.
"Acknowledging that we are witnessing the signs of genocide brings with it a responsibility to act. The people of Scotland expect no less of us.
"For the duration of this afternoon’s business, I have authorised that the Palestinian flag be raised outside St Andrew’s House as an indication of Scotland’s solidarity with the people of Palestine.
"Scotland will always raise her voice in favour of peace and humanity."
In reaction to the list of measures, head of Oxfam Scotland Jamie Livingstone said: “The First Minister has drawn an important moral and legal line in the sand: Scotland will not be complicit in the starvation, bombardment and decades of illegal occupation being faced by Palestinians. Pausing new public funding to arms companies in Scotland implicated in this devastation is a vital act of solidarity.
"It must be implemented quickly and robustly.
“The UK Government must now follow Scotland’s lead and finally halt all arms sales to Israel and use every available lever to help stop the killing. Gaza is being turned into a graveyard before our eyes: history will ask if leaders did everything they could to stop it. The First Minister has committed to act; Westminster must do the same.”
Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns at Global Justice Now said: "The Scottish Government has finally put words into action. Suspending public money for arms companies supplying Israel is in step with its moral and legal obligations.
"The measures it has announced today are in no small part thanks to ordinary people across the country tirelessly raising their voices and acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people. "The UK Government must take note, particularly around the Scottish Government’s calls for the UK to withdraw from the UK-Israel free trade agreement. With the agreement itself based on mutual respect for human rights there is no reasonable justification whatsoever for the UK to continue to bind itself to Israel.
"Calls for banning settlement trade from our supermarket shelves and recognising the state of Palestine are also vital, and must be implemented by the UK Government immediately to help bring an end to its shameful complicity in Israel’s genocide on Gaza.”
Amnesty International’s acting Scotland programme director, Liz Thomson, added: “Amnesty has been raising our very grave concerns about the risk of complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza with ministers for some time, so this is an overdue but welcome intervention from the First Minister.
"If implemented fully it will be a positive example of Scotland taking meaningful action to play its part in bringing an end to the genocide.
“Companies financed here in Scotland produce components with high risk of end use to commit genocide in Gaza and war crimes in Yemen - that was never acceptable.
"We recently communicated clearly to Scottish Enterprise why we believed continued funding for these companies would risk violation of international human rights obligations, so we welcome today’s news but look forward to receiving more detail. It will be vital that action is taken to end support immediately.
“Meanwhile we must keep pushing UK ministers to immediately stop arming the genocide and halt all arms transfers to Israel. Anything less makes a mockery of the UK’s stated commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and the principles of the Genocide Convention."
