Luxembourg, Ireland and all European Union (EU) member states must stop the sale of Israel Bonds in the EU or risk complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Amnesty International said in a public statement issued today.
“Israel has become increasingly reliant on foreign investments to finance its genocide, apartheid and unlawful occupation and bankroll its crimes against Palestinians. Israel Bonds increase the funds available to the government and thereby help finance Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip that has wiped out entire families, levelled civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools and left 90% of the population forcibly displaced with their homes in ruins,” said Steve Cockburn, the Regional Director for Europe at Amnesty International.
“Allowing these bonds to be sold in the EU markets comes with an enormous ethical and legal cost. International law is clear: all states have an obligation not to aid or assist in genocide and the obligation to prevent it.”
According to the Israeli government, Israel dramatically increased the issuance of Israel Bonds, a financial instrument issued by the government to raise money from individuals and small investors, since 7 October 2023 “due to Israel’s security situation” in the Gaza Strip. The proceeds of the bonds go into the general Israel state budget, and as advertised by the authorities, help to sustain its military capacity.
