The following letter, signed by Academics for Palestine, was published in the Irish Examiner on 28 August 2025.
The Central Bank’s current approval of Israeli genocide-funding bonds ends on September 1.
As we witness the forced starvation of the Palestinian people in Gaza, displacement of 800,000 people from Northern Gaza, daily bombardment, and the relentless murder of children and adults, we call on the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) to do the absolute minimum required under international law — stop funding genocide, do not renew the State of Israel Bonds Issuance programme on September 2.
Israeli Bonds fund the genocide in Gaza, the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and the apartheid regime in Israel.
Enabling their sale in the EU is morally reprehensible and in violation of international law.
The recent report on Israeli Bonds from the joint oireachtas finance committee affirmed that the CBI, as an organ of this state, must comply with international law.
It recommended that “due diligence is discharged by the CBI including appropriate consideration of national and international law”.
It rejected as “ill-founded” the view of CBI governor that the Genocide Convention does not apply to the CBI. It further recommended that “the central bank take all possible steps available to it to suspend the offer of the prospectus under obligations to ‘prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ as outlined in the ICJ opinion of July 2024”.
In addition, the Prospectus Regulation (Article 88, Preamble) sets out clearly that it is to be interpreted and applied in accordance with the rights and principles of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Clearly aiding the funding of genocide, apartheid and occupation is in direct violation of this.
The Government has an undeniable responsibility to act to ensure this country is not complicit in genocide.
The International Court of Justice (Bosnia V Serbia, 2007) made clear that a state is complicit if “its organs were aware that genocide was about to be committed or was under way, and if the aid and assistance supplied… to the perpetrators of the criminal acts… enabled or facilitated the commission of the acts”.
We call on the CBI not to renew approval for Israeli genocide-funding bonds.
We call on the Government to direct the CBI not to renew approval of Israeli bonds.
This shameful chapter in our nation’s history must end now.
Zoë Lawlor, chairperson, IPSC; Owen Reidy, general secretary, ICTU; John Boyle, general secretary, INTO; Martin Walsh, president, Forsa; Éamonn Meehan, chair, Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance; Caroline Murphy, CEO, Comhlámh; Katie Martin, coordinator, Afri; Stephen McCloskey, director, Centre for Global Education; Thomas McDonagh, director, Financial Justice Ireland; David Landy, Jews for Palestine (Ireland); Cian O’Callaghan, TD, leader, Social Democrats; Ivana Bacik, TD, leader, The Labour Party; Paul Murphy, TD, People Before Profit; Mary Lou McDonald, TD, leader, Sinn Féin; Roderic O’Gorman, TD, leader, The Green Party; Alice-Mary Higgins, senator; Frances Black, senator; Munir Nuseibah, professor of international law, Al-Quds University; Des Geraghty, former president of Siptu and former director of the Central Bank; Zak Hania, Gaza genocide survivor; Salah Altanany, Gaza genocide survivor; Eman Mohammed, Palestinian photojournalist; David Hickey, Dubs for Palestine; Angy Skuse, Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine; Rebecca O’Keeffe, Irish Sport for Palestine; Ian McArdle, DGS, CWU; Rosi Leonard, CATU; Kieron Connolly, Bray Council of Trade Unions; Finn Geaney, Dublin Council of Trade Unions; Rebeccah Heslin, Psychologist for Palestine; Mags O’Brien, Trade Union Friends of Palestine; Leigh Brosnan, Irish Lawyers for Palestine; Conall Ó Dufaigh, Teachers for Palestine; Jim Roche, PRO, Irish Anti-War Movement; Seán Ó Briain, Comhlámh — Justice for Palestine; Jacinta O’Keeffe, Cycles for Palestine; Gregor Kerr, INTO Palestine Ambassadors Group; Roisin Cronin, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Branch, FORSA; Marie Sherlock, TD; Gary Gannon, TD; Ruth Coppinger, TD; Donna Cooney, Green Party; Adrian Kane, Siptu; Talha Alali, psychotherapist; Maeve Higgins, writer; Betty Purcell, former Human Rights Commission; Gary Daly, solicitor; Jessica Traynor, poet; Áine Hayden, poet; Bridget Kiely, GP; Laura Cooke, GP; Imelda Donovan, Fermoy Stands with Palestine; Nora Tennyson, North Cork Palestine Solidarity Group; Kate O’Connell, Fermoy and Mallow Against Division; Anne Stewart, IPSC (North) Wicklow; Aisling McGovern, Swords Stands for Palestine; Mary Sheridan, Balbriggan Palestine Solidarity; Tara King, Drogheda Stands with Palestine; Patrick Keegan, TCD BDS; Brian O’Boyle, ATU; Harun Sikjak, Academics for Palestine; Vincent Doherty, singer; Matthew Thorton, Palestine activist; Marnie Holborow, IAWM; Mary Brennan, EU official (retired); Dorothy Morrissey, EU official ((retired); Helen Mahony, coordinator, IPSC Stop Funding Genocide Campaign
academicsforpalestine.org 