Regina Medical Staff Association passes motion to transfer funds out of Scotiabank and other financial institutions complicit in war crimes
By Dr. Kieran Conway, World BEYOND War, June 25, 2025
Regina, Saskatchewan — Regina’s physicians voted in favour of a motion presented at the June 24 AGM of the Regina Medical Staff Association (RMSA) to transfer all funds from major Canadian banks investing in arms manufacturing to Saskatchewan-based credit unions.
The motion comes amid growing concern over major banks’ investments in weapons used by Israel in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. Scotiabank, which RMSA currently banks with, is one of the top five global investors in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer.
“In Gaza, weapons have been used to target non-combatants, and specifically doctors, healthcare workers, humanitarian organizations, and healthcare infrastructure as well as patients under active treatment,” reads the motion, which passed with over 75% of the vote. “Physicians have a duty to ensure their monies are not contributing to flagrant violations of the international laws of war.”
International humanitarian organizations including Amnesty International have determined that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. Israel is currently on trial for genocide in the International Court of Justice, and its leaders have been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
“As physicians, we cannot allow our funds to arm a military that has systematically eliminated healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, and has abducted – and in some cases tortured – 450 of our medical colleagues,” says Dr. Kieran Conway, a family physician and hospitalist in Regina who brought the motion forward. “Transferring our financial affairs from Scotiabank and other institutions invested in arms manufacturing is one small step the RMSA can take to support international efforts to prevent further genocide and the targetting of our medical colleagues in Palestine.”
“Scotiabank is one of the top global funders of Elbit, Israel’s largest weapons company, and the producer of an enormous share of the arms being used in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and now Iran,” said Rachel Small with World Beyond War. “Decisions like the one taken today by Regina’s physicians demonstrate that we will not stand for Canadian funds being used to finance the war crimes and catastrophic bloodshed we’re now seeing.”
One Response
Obviously, doctors have a far healthier view of life than some bankers who invest others money into killing machines for a murderous nation intent on ridding a nation of its indigenous peoples. That Canada has a chartered bank willing to profit from genocide places all Canadians in the crosshairs peace-loving humans globally. Why can this bank still exist?