Ban Israeli military flights from all UK airspace amid Gaza conflict, demands Scottish Greens
Israeli military flights should be banned from UK airspace, the Scottish Greens has demanded, as the party continues to press for a ban on arm sales to Israel.
There have been growing numbers of voices calling for the UK to end arms sales to Israel following the deaths of three British Armed Forces veterans in an air strike in Gaza.
They were among seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers who were killed in the attack by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) last Monday.
But the Scottish Greens is also demanding action to stop Israeli military planes using UK airspace.
Party co-leader Lorna Slater insisted the Greens would "not stand back and be complicit in slaughter" and demanded more be done.
Ms Slater, who was speaking at the party's spring conference in Edinburgh, said pressure from Greens and others meant "Israeli military flights are now banned from using the publicly owned Prestwick airport".
But she added: "One airport is not enough.
"The Scottish Greens are calling for Israeli military flights to be banned from all UK airspace, and an immediate halt to all UK arms sales to Israel.
"We will not stand back and be complicit in slaughter. We will never support genocide.
"We will always stand up for human rights and with the people of Gaza."
Monday's airstrike has led to widespread calls from MPs from all major parties to end UK arms sales to Israel, as well as a letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices.
While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stressed the UK has always followed a "very careful export licensing regime", Ms Slater was critical of the Government's stance.
"When we see a genocide happening we try to stop it," she said. "The UK Government tries to arm those perpetrating it."
She said in the last 10 years the UK had licensed at least £500m worth of arms sales to Israel - weapons which she said had been used to "inflict untold misery on an entire population".
Greens councillor Alys Mumford said calls for an end to arms sales to Israel had only been stepped up because "white Western aid workers are murdered" branding this "deep, naked racism”.
She said: "Green councillors across Scotland are doing all they can to show solidarity with Palestine.
"From Shetland to Edinburgh, the Highlands to East Lothian, we have successfully persuaded our councils to support a ceasefire."
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