TODAY: Stop Funding Genocide! National March for Palestine to take place in Dublin, Sat 19th July

 National March for Palestine to take place in Dublin, TODAY, Saturday 19th July

Protesters call on government to 'Pass the OTB', 'Stop the Central Bank Funding Genocide', and 'Sanction Israel'

Press Release, Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, 19th July 2025

TODAY, Saturday 19th July the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, supported by more than 170 Irish civil society groups, is holding a National Demonstration for Palestine to protest the Irish government’s absolute refusal to hold Israel accountable for a genocide in which the Apartheid state has slaughtered more than 58,000 Palestinians. The march will call for an end to the Central Bank of Ireland's role in funding the genocide, for the government to pass the full Occupied Territories Bill incuding goods and services, an end to the use of Irish airspace for transporting weapons, and for the Irish government to enact sanctions to hold Israel accountable.

It will be the sixteenth such national mobilisation since October 2023 - all of which have seen tens of thousands flood Dublin's streets in opposition to Israel's slaughter in Gaza that has seen at least 58,000 people killed, as well as more than 900 in the West Bank.

Protestors will assemble at 1pm at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square, and will march from there to Leinster House for a rally outside the Dáil.

Speakers at the rally will include Gaza genocide survivors Marah Nijim and Mohamed Migdad, Dunnes Stores Striker Mary Manning, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon who is taking a legal case against the Central Bank of Ireland, Bernard Joyce, Director of the Irish Traveller Movement, Conor O'Neill of the Pass the Occupied Territories Bill Campaign. and IPSC Chairperson Zoë Lawlor. 

Speaking ahead of the protest, IPSC Chairperson Zoë Lawlor said, "21 months later and Israel's unrelenting genocide continues with at least 58,000 people have been murdered in Gaza, and another 900 in the West Bank. There has been a savage food and aid blockade for months - the only food available distributed by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, spaces that have become sites of slaughter as more than 800 unarmed aid-seekers have been murdered by occupation forces. Between 50 and 100 people are being killed every day.

"And the response of Western powers has been to keep sending guns, bombs, and tech to murder Palestinians. To distract, obfuscate, and feign outrage at comments made by people who are angry and upset by genocide. To arrest, assault, and now criminalise as 'terrorist' peaceful anti-genocide protesters. To try to gaslight us all into thinking this genocide is normal. To do everything they possibly can to continue business as usual with this appalling genocidal state.

"And sadly, Ireland is little different. Simon Harris has called Israel's actions "genocide", "unconscionable" and "unacceptable" — yet the Irish government is barely lifting a finger to end Ireland's deep complicity in this genocide. It won't act to stop the Central Bank processing Israel's genocide bonds, it won't stop the use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace for transiting weapons to Israel, it won't stop dual-use exports to Israel. It won't ban the state investment fund - that invests our taxes - from investing in companies that profit from Israel's illegal colonial settlements. It won't even commit to ensuring the new Occupied Territories Bill bans both trade and services with illegal Israeli settlements - indeed it seems now to be vacillating on passing it at all. 

"And on top of this we have the appalling spectacle of the state refusing visas to child medical evacuees and Palestinian kids to visit Ireland to play our national sports.

"Join us this Saturday to tell the government that there can be no more business as usual, no more pathetic excuses and hand-wringing statements,  no bowing to US and IBEC pressure. We want sanctions now!"

There will be a disability access point at the Dublin Unitarian Church on St. Stephen's Green. The GAA Palestine Bloc is assembling outside Cassidy's Hotel, and the Trade Union Bloc assembly point is outside Mandate Head Office, both on Cavendish Row, and Community Groups will be assembling outside the Hugh Lane Gallery. There will also be Healthcare Workers and Queer blocs.

ENDS

STOP FUNDING GENOCIDE: Protest at the Central Bank of Ireland TODAY will see faith groups hand in letter of protest to Governor

 Press Release, Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Tuesday 8th July 2025

A protest, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, will take place outside the  Central Bank of Ireland on North Wall Quay, TODAY Tuesday 8^th July between 12.30pm and 2pm, to demand that the Central Bank stop authorising the sale of Israeli genocide bonds in Europe.   

There will be a Photo Op at 1.30pm where Irish faith-based organisations will hand in a letter of protest to the Central Bank Governor (details below).   

Why? The Central Bank of Ireland is the gateway into Europe for the Israeli “war bonds”. These “war bonds” directly fund the genocide in Gaza, the apartheid regime in Israel, the occupation of Palestinian territories and illegal settlements. As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in her report "From economy of occupation to economy of genocide” explains:

“As the main source of finance for the Israeli State budget, treasury bonds have played a critical role in funding the ongoing assault on Gaza. From 2022 to 2024, the Israeli military budget grew from 4.2% to 8.3% of GDP, driving the public budget into a 6.8 %. Israel funded this ballooning budget by increasing its bond issuance, including $8 billion in March 2024 and $5 billion in February 2025, alongside issuances on its domestic new shekel market…….

"[Israel Bonds] provides a bond solicitation service for the Government of Israel for overseas private individuals and other investors. The Development Corporation for Israel tripled its annual bond sales to funnel nearly $5 billion to Israel since October 2023, while offering investors the option of sending the return on bond investments to charitable organizations supporting the Israeli military and the colonies."

IPSC Chairperson Zoe Lawlor said: “Apartheid Israel is starving children to death, denying access to formula milk to babies even as their starving mothers can’t breastfeed. Every day apartheid Israel relentlessly commits brutal crimes against Palestinians population of Gaza. Our Central Bank is fundraising for this genocide and we will not stop protesting until it ends this shameful complicity in genocide. The Government has a responsibility under the Genocide Convention to take all possible steps to prevent genocide. The Government must immediately direct the Central Bank, an organ of this state, to stop acting as a pivotal cog in Israel’s fundraising machine in Europe.”

Gary Gannon TD, who is taking a case against the CBI, said: “We can’t look away from injustice. We have to deal with what is in front of us and what is in front of me is our Central Bank signing off on genocide. This case is not just a legal challenge, it is a line in the sand. If Ireland lets the enabling of the funding of genocide go unchallenged, we send the message that our laws apply only when they are politically convenient. As a public representative, my job is to act in the public interest and there is no greater public interest than making sure our institutions take every action that are obliged to take in the face of genocide.”

Mr Gannon concluded: “The Central Bank, as a competent authority under MiFIR and an emanation of the State, is legally required to act in accordance with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Ireland’s obligations under the Genocide Convention and to avoid regulatory complicity in atrocity crimes. Under EU investor protection law the Central Bank has the responsibility and the power to act when there are significant risks to investors. Under MiFIR Article 42, the Central Bank may act to restrict any financial instrument where there is a significant investor protection concern. The Central Bank can and must end its authorisation for sale of Israel Bonds. This is a test of what kind of country we are. Do we quietly enable war crimes and genocide, or do we do everything we can to stop them?”

Padraig Mannion of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance said: “In seeking to find a parallel for the collusion of this government in the actions of the Central Bank in relation to Israeli war-bonds, the most appropriate example we can find has to be that of Pontius Pilate. Like him they think they can just wash their hands and the evidence of their collusion will wash away. Well, from this platform, we can tell them their collusion cannot be hidden and no amount of expensive spin-doctoring will make it go away.”

IPSC faith-based liaison Katherine Looby said: “Today faith-based organisations from across Ireland are delivering a letter of protest to Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf, urging the Central Bank to immediately cease the authorisation for sale of Israel Bonds in Europe.

"Signed by representatives from multiple faith communities, the letter expresses 'deep concern for the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the role of the Central Bank in facilitating the sale of the Israel Bonds in the EU. The CBI, in approving the Israeli Bond Programme, are providing the means for the widespread death and destruction that is taking place'."

Ms Looby concluded: “We urgently call on the CBI Governor, Gabriel Makhlouf to end the approval of the Israeli Bond programme.  If the Governor fails to act, then we call on the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to direct the Governor to act and withdraw the approval of these Bonds.”

ENDS

 

Note for editors: Signatories to the faith-based coalition letter include - and the bolded names will be present today to hand in the letter:  

Dr. Gary Carville, Council for Migrants, Refugees and Justice & Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Rev. Steven Foster, Council on Social Responsibility of the Methodist Church in Ireland

Kevin Hargaden, Director of the Jesuit Center for Faith and Justice

Toni Pyke, Justice, Peace and Ecology Coordinator with the Association of Leaders of Missionary and Religious of Ireland (AMR)

Rev. Alison Gallagher, Irish Methodist Church, Co. Kerry (personal capacity)     

Will Haire, Clerk of Ireland Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Lara Kelly, Coordinator, Congregation Justice Office,  Congregation of Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Catherine of Siena, Cabra

Rev. John Parkin, Chairperson, Kairos Ireland

Rev. David Oxley, Church of Ireland (personal capacity)