Welsh Government have serious questions to answer over awarding public money to weapons manufacturer supplying Israel – Plaid

Plaid Cymru have condemned Welsh Government for awarding public funds to a weapons manufacturer that exports military equipment to Israel, despite the First Minister assuring the Senedd this isn’t the case in December 2024.

A Freedom of Information request by Amnesty International UK has found that Welsh Government gave £500,000 in grant funding to a company supplying weapons to Israel.

Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth said this revelation is “both shocking and shameful” and that the Labour Welsh Government have “serious questions to answer”. He also accused the First Minister of misleading the Senedd.

Mr ap Iorwerth once again urged the international community to stop turning a blind eye to the horrors happening in Gaza, calling on the UK Labour Government to impose a complete arms embargo, recognise Palestinian statehood, and to implement further sanctions on Israel.

Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said:

“The revelation that the First Minister misled the Senedd about providing £500,000 of Welsh taxpayer money to a weapons manufacturer whose products may have been used to fuel Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people is both shocking and shameful.

"The First Minister claimed that no Welsh Government financial support had been provided to companies in Wales exporting arms to Israel since October 2023, but we now know this is not true. The Labour Welsh Government have serious questions to answer.

“Plaid Cymru once again calls on the Labour UK Government to impose a complete arms embargo, recognise Palestinian statehood, and implement further sanctions on the Israeli government at once. The international community cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors happening every single day in Gaza.”