Motion demands end to sale of Israeli War Bonds

The Irish Government is being urged to halt the sale of Israeli War Bonds through the Central Bank of Ireland. The notice of motion was brought before the June monthly meeting of Cavan County Council by Cllr Siofán Conaty (SF) in response to the escalating atrocities in Gaza.

His wide-ranging motion condemned the Israeli state's actions- including the mass killing of civilians, the weaponisation of starvation, and the destruction of critical infrastructure - condemning such acts as “genocide”, ethnic cleansing, and violations of international law.

The Ballyhaise man highlighted how the Central Bank of Ireland currently authorises the sale of these bonds, which raises capital for the Israeli government, Cllr Conaty claimed, supporting military operations, apartheid structures, and illegal settlements, thereby implicating Ireland in the funding of war crimes.

“The Israeli government has openly stated that these bonds support its military operations in Gaza, and thus, these Israeli War Bonds, facilitated by the Central Bank of Ireland and sold to investors around Europe, are directly funding the Palestinian Genocide. This is a stain on the Irish State, and the Central Bank has blood on its hands,” said Cllr Conaty.

Since Brexit, Ireland has replaced the UK as the authorising EU country for Israel’s bond sales and just last month the government suffered an embarrassing blow when two TDs, who supported them against a Sinn Féin backed bill aimed at blocking the Central Bank from selling Israel's bonds, switched sides.

Still, the Bill was voted down.

“The Sinn Féin bill was independently drafted, legally sound, and in no way a breach of international law,” claimed Cllr Conaty in the council chamber.

“What is a breach of international law is the intentional burning of children alive, the assassination of journalists, medics and aid workers, and starving an entire population on purpose. Multiple rulings by the International Court of Justice and United Nations have determined that Israel is in fact guilty of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We know all this, it is happening in real time and being live-streamed to our phones and televisions, and there can be no more excuses from our leaders.”

This marked the fourth such motion from Cllr Conaty, who has in the past vehemently called for a ban on military use of Shannon Airport and the introduction of an ethical procurement policy targetting the Israeli goods.

While he welcomed movement on the passage of the Occupied Territories Bill, Cllr Conaty said it represented a “significant U-Turn” by government. However he described it as a “massively watered” piece of legislature “to the point that their version of the Bill is more symbolic than effective".

While “a start”, Cllr Conaty fears it is “not enough”.

“Because Israel is not going to stop until they wipe the Palestinian people off the face of the earth,” he said. “The Irish people and the people of Cavan are disgusted by what is going on and we cannot stand idly by. Not only is the Irish Government standing idly by, but by continuing to allow Israeli War Bonds to be sold through the Central Bank of Ireland, it is complicit and is actively facilitating the funding of the Palestinian Genocide.”