Regina doctors remove money from banks investing in Israeli arms industry
Dr. Kieran Conway and several colleagues wanted to do something as news of killings continued to flow out of Gaza.
'There was a group of physicians that felt really demoralized by what was happening in Gaza and feeling quite powerless about what we could do,' said Conway in a recent interview.
That's why he and his fellow physicians brought forward a motion to the Regina Medical Staff Association (RMSA) annual general meeting on June 24. It called for the transfer of all funds from major Canadian banks investing in arms manufacturing over to Saskatchewan-based credit unions.
Conway, a family physician and hospitalist in Regina, was among the 21 people, or 75 per cent, who voted in favour of the motion which named Scotiabank and RBC. Six voted against.
Elbit Systems and Scotiabank's investment in the defence company has come under increasing scrutiny for its role in supplying weapons — including loitering munitions more commonly referred to as 'suicide drones' — following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which 1,200 were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.
It's difficult to assess the number of Palestinians killed in the 20 months of conflict following the Oct. 7 attack. Palestinian health authorities say more than 50,000, mostly civilians, have been killed, while the United Nations says that number is likely low.
According to The Guardian, 879 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7.
The RMSA has the authority to make such decisions and the Saskatchewan Medical Association 'has no comment on it,' the SMA said an email response to questions from the Leader-Post.
'Individual securities are held based on their investment merit and are not influenced by protest activity,' Scotiabank said in an emailed statement provided Friday.
And when it comes to holding of Elbit, 'Scotia Global Asset Management's exposure to Elbit Systems is 1.6 per cent of outstanding shares, as of March 31, 2025.'
Past reporting from The Canadian Press indicated Scotiabank's 1832 Asset Management held 642,000 shares in Elbit at the end of second quarter 2024 which was down from about 2,237,000 shares in 2023.
On Friday, Scotiabank said 1832 Asset Management holds 700,100 shares of Elbit as of March 31, 2025.
Comment was sought from RBC as well, but no response was offered.
Regina residents mark one-year anniversary of reignited conflict in Israel, Gaza
Talk about Israeli-Palestinian conflict still on after city councillor prevents cancellation
As of 2023, Scotiabank was one of the top five investors in Elbit Systems, Israel's largest weapons manufacture. Since then, the bank has reduced its holding in the company though it does still hold significant investments, according to reporting by Reuters.
Between the two banks, the RMSA has more than a quarter-million dollars invested, which it will now move to local institutions.
Doctors have a moral responsibility 'to stop it, and if we can't stop it, at least make sure that we're not supporting it anyway we can,' said Conway of the ongoing conflict.
'It's hard to know what to do from where we are. Myself, like all physicians, our role, the reason we came into this profession, is to support life,' he said. 'We've watched in horror as it seems Israel has tried to exterminate life in Gaza.'
In early January, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) stated 'out of 36 hospitals in Gaza, Palestine, only 17 remained partially functional by early December 2024, with the other 19 closed, while over 1,000 health workers have been killed.'
In 2024, a United Nations special committee found 'Israel's warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, with mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there.'
Conway said other medical associations in Canada have tried to pass similar motions, but to his knowledge none have been successful.
'I hope this shows other medical associations and other professional associations, even outside of the medical field, that there are tangible things, there is action you can take to to oppose the genocide,' he said.
alsalloum@postmedia.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WM price target raised to $265 from $260 at Scotiabank
Scotiabank raised the firm's price target on WM (WM) to $265 from $260 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm remains positive on the stock, coming away from the company's investor day more positive on the Healthcare segment, the analyst tells investors. Scotiabank expects WM to continue raising the dividend at a 'strong pace' and resume buybacks when the leverage ratio normalizes. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See Insiders' Hot Stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on WM: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue WM price target raised to $250 from $244 at CIBC WM price target raised to $245 from $241 at BMO Capital WM price target raised to $255 from $251 at Oppenheimer Waste Management: Balancing Growth Potential with Near-Term Challenges Waste Management: Balancing Promising Growth with Market Uncertainties
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
With Iran set back, Trump can now pursue peace in the Middle East
Donald Trump has stumbled into a position of extraordinary power in the Middle East. Through a combination of Israeli military audacity and his willingness to take risks, Trump has humiliated Iran, proven his ability to rein in Israel, and positioned himself as the only actor who can now impose a postwar settlement. He has leverage over everyone, and he should use it now. Iran tried to negotiate with the United States as an equal. It hoped to deter Israel with missile threats, proxies, and nuclear brinkmanship. But Israel just proved how hollow that posture was — launching an astonishingly successful preemptive strike on June 13. Ten days later came something astounding. US B-2 bombers flew deep into Iranian territory and struck nuclear infrastructure directly. 7 President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have an opportunity to achieve lasting peace across the Middle East. REUTERS 7 Benjamin Netanyahu surveying damage to the Soroka Hospital in the southern town of Beer Sheba during Israel's recent 12-day war with Iran. MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Washington wasn't just supporting Israel — it was in the fight. And then Trump essentially imposed a cease-fire. Israel stopped. Iran accepted. The war ended not with negotiations but with an American command. This is military might combined with psychological dominance. Trump effectively used Israel as a proxy to break Iran's posture — then proved he could rein in his proxy the moment it suited him. For Iran, the implications are brutal. If Israel wants to strike again, it very well might. If Trump wants to stop them, he will. This is the context in which US-Iran talks will now resume. They must not be open-ended — Iran cannot be allowed to play for time as they did with President Obama. Trump must make clear that the war demonstrated the limits of Iran's options. The regime survived, but just barely. Its nuclear and missile programs were mauled. Its proxies have been badly weakened. And its people are more skeptical than ever of a leadership that promised strength and delivered only humiliation. 7 Massive bombs such as these were used by American forces against Iran to help dismantle the nation's nuclear armament efforts. AP The terms must be firm, final, and immediate: 1. All uranium enrichment must halt above the 3% civilian threshold allowed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The carrot is that civilian use should be allowed — it is Iran's right under the NPT. 2. The missile program must be ended — especially long-range and precision systems that threaten Israel and Arab capitals. 7 A massive fire at an oil storage depot in Iran illustrates the vast range of targets hit by Israel as it sought to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. AP 3. All support for regional proxy militias must end. That includes Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Shiite militias in Iraq. These groups are not bargaining chips — they are the core of Iran's regional aggression. They must go. Iran may protest, posture, and delay. But it is cornered. The Arab world was largely silent during the Israel-Iran war — a signal of tacit approval. Europe's main governments, though nervous, largely backed the US-Israel axis. Tehran has few friends, little credibility, and almost no cards left to play. But the job is only half done. The war in Gaza — at this juncture, pointless, devastating, and politically toxic — must now end. And here, too, Trump has leverage. 7 A graphic detailing Israel's strikes on Iran on June 13 – Operation Rising Lion. Merrill Sherman / NY Post Design Just weeks ago, Netanyahu's government was under siege at home. Protests filled the streets. The hostage crisis dragged on. His coalition teetered. Then came the Iran strike. It gave him breathing room and a narrative of victory. But it came with a debt, and Trump holds the note. Trump can now demand something Netanyahu has blocked because of pressure from far-right figures who can bring down his coalition: end the war in Gaza, and do it in a way that creates a path forward. The plan is clear: The Palestinian Authority must be allowed to return to Gaza. It must come with Arab security backing — likely from Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf partners — and billions in reconstruction aid from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Read the latest on the Israel-Iran conflict: Hamas must disarm and go into exile. And in return, Trump must deliver the next phase of the Abraham Accords. Indeed, the Yisrael Hayom newspaper on Thursday reported that Trump already spoke with Netanyahu about ending the Gaza war within two weeks. The report was not confirmed by authorities. This is where the opportunity becomes historic. Saudi Arabia has signaled that normalization with Israel is possible — but only in the context of serious steps toward Palestinian statehood. With Gaza pacified and the PA in place, Saudi normalization is achievable. 7 An infographic explains how a bunker buster bomb works Merrill Sherman / NY Post Design That, in turn, could bring along others: Oman, maybe even Lebanon, under its new political leadership. Syria's new regime, desperate for international legitimacy because of its jihadist past, has signaled positive intentions as well. Either way, Netanyahu announced that Israel is working for 'dramatic expansion of peace agreements' on Thursday. Trump could expand the Abraham Accords into a true regional security architecture — uniting Israel, moderate Arab states, and even a weakened Iran under US oversight. 7 A scene of destruction in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has waged a war against Hamas for more than 20 months. AFP via Getty Images This would reshape the region. Israel would gain unprecedented legitimacy and regional integration. The Palestinians would get governance, reconstruction, and a foothold toward political relevance. Iran would be contained. And the US would restore its position as the indispensable power in the Middle East. None of this is guaranteed. But all of it is possible — and Trump holds the cards. Dan Perry led Associated Press coverage in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including the Israel and Iran bureaus. He publishes Ask Questions Later on Substack.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
At least 60 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — At least 60 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health workers said Saturday, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer. The strikes began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were brought. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A strike midday Saturday killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'we're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Talks have been on again off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to still be alive. They were part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war. The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians , according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. There is hope among hostage families that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Meanwhile hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Palestinians have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. —— Mednick reported from Tel Aviv ___ Follow AP's war coverage at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
