Green Councillors Call Out Mayor Khan for Funding Genocide Through Police Procurement Deal

/ by dannykeeling

2/7/25

A group of London Green Party councillors from 10 boroughs have publicly called out Mayor Sadiq Khan for the Metropolitan Police’s purchase of armoured vehicles from an Israeli weapons manufacturer directly linked to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The SandCat vehicles, recently acquired by the Met, are manufactured by Plasan — a company deeply embedded in the Israeli Ministry of Defence and a core supplier of military equipment used in assaults on Palestinian civilians. These assaults have resulted in mass civilian deaths, the destruction of homes and hospitals, and what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in January 2024 to be a plausible genocide.

Councillor Danny Keeling (Green Group Business Manager, Newham Council), who led the letter to the Mayor, said:

“Let’s be clear — this is a genocide. The ICJ has recognised it, and the world is watching it unfold. For the Metropolitan Police to be buying equipment from one of the Israeli military’s key suppliers is morally repugnant and politically indefensible.”

They added:

“These vehicles aren’t just war-tested — they’re genocide-tested. It’s an outrage that public money from Londoners is being used in this way. It makes our city complicit in crimes under international law.”

The councillors are demanding that the Mayor:

  • Disclose what role he or his office played in approving the purchase
  • Reveal whether any human rights or ethical due diligence was conducted
  • Explain why such militarised vehicles are being deployed in London

The letter is signed by 18 Green Party councillors across 10 boroughs, including opposition leaders, council group leaders, and members with direct community links to those affected by Israeli military operations.

Councillor Keeling concluded:

“The Mayor cannot continue to look the other way. Londoners deserve a city that stands for justice and human rights — not one that funds weapons linked to ethnic cleansing.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

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