Central Bank should appear before Finance Committee regarding Israeli war bonds – Mairéad Farrell TD

The new Chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, Mairéad Farrell TD, has said the Central Bank should appear before the committee regarding the listing of Israeli bonds on the Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext).

When companies, financial institutions, or states list debt on the Irish Stock Exchange, they must submit a prospectus for approval. The Central Bank is the relevant authority for such approval.

She added that, by allowing Israel to list debt on the Irish Stock Exchange, Ireland is assisting with the provision of funds being used to support what the International Court of Justice has described as a ‘plausible genocide’.

Teachta Farrell said:

“Ireland, as a signatory to the Geneva Convention, has strict obligations. One of those obligations is to ensure that we are no way complicit in genocide.

“By allowing Israel to list debt on the Irish Stock Exchange, we assist with the provision of funds being used to support what the International Court of Justice has described as a ‘plausible genocide’.

“Ireland is a signatory to that case. The Central Bank, as the regulator, operates under the aegis of the Department of Finance.

“It has said that it can only reject the approval where sanctions are in place or there are ‘national restrictive measures’.

“It is not clear to me how Ireland’s Geneva Conventions Act (1962) does not constitute such a national restrictive measure. I believe it is time the Finance Committee heard from the Central Bank specifically in relation to this.

“Israel’s current Minister for Finance earlier this month called for the occupation of the Gaza strip and the imposition of military rule, which would be a further breach of international law and likely to further the ongoing genocide.

“There is a serious matter of urgency here.”