Solidarity organisations, trade unions and civil society organisations call on all EU Financial Regulators to refuse to authorise the sale of Israel Bonds .
In a letter, sent on 28 October, to all EU Financial Regulators, designated as National Competent Authorities under the EU Prospectus Regulation, the ECCP (European Coalition for Committees and Associations for Palestine), the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and the Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (CPJPO) along with trade unions, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Fagforbundet (The Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees), and civil society organisations, European and national, called on regulators to refuse to approve the sale of Israel Bonds in compliance with international law. National financial regulators, as state organs, are bond by the Genocide Convention and by the obligation not to assist in the maintenance of unlawful occupation and apartheid.
Background
Israel Bonds, sold on behalf of the state of Israel by the Development Corporation of Israel (DCI), are direct loans to the Israeli government for the un-ringfenced “general financing purposes of the State of Israel”. They fund the genocide in Gaza, occupation, all aspects of the apartheid state, war crimes and crimes against humanity. From October 2023 until late 2025, the bonds were explicitly advertised as direct war financing with the banner headline “ISRAEL IS AT WAR – WE STAND WITH ISRAEL”.
In August 2025, the sale of Israel Bonds in Ireland, the “home member state” in the EU for Israel Bonds was ended due to public, political and legal pressure. Despite a cross-party Irish Parliamentary Finance Committee report calling on it to desist from facilitating the sale of Israel Bonds, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) transferred the 2025 prospectus, on Israel’s request, to the CSSF in Luxembourg. Approval by CSSF was met by immediate opposition. A conference on Luxembourg’s Obligations under International Law, organised by CPJPO and Amnesty Luxembourg was held in May 2026. Amnesty International issued a statement in July calling on all EU Member States and regulatory authorities to refrain from approving or accepting any transfer of an Israel Bonds prospectus, warning that providing access to European capital markets under current conditions carries severe risks of failure to prevent genocide and aiding or assisting in internationally wrongful acts.
The IPSC submitted a communication to the International Court of Justice in August 2026, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, concerning the alleged individual criminal responsibility of the Governor of the Central Bank under Article 25(3)(c) and Article 25(3)(d)(ii) of the Rome Statute, submitting that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the Governor and the Central Bank of Ireland may have contributed to, or otherwise aided and abetted, the commission of the crime of genocide by the State of Israel.
The State of Israel Bond Prospectus was not approved by any state since 1 September 2026. According to the DCI,“For Israel, having the support of Israel Bonds – a reliable and independent financial pipeline – is an invaluable and strategic national resource.” That pipeline is now closed in the EU.
Under the EU Prospectus Regulation, Ireland remains the “home member state” for Israel Bonds while the DCI seeks to offer a portfolio of bonds which include bonds valued less than €1000. If DCI reduces its range of bonds, it could attempt to find a regulator directly to authorise the sale of the bonds.
The letter calls on the financial regulators to refuse to act as a transferee or approving authority for any new Israel Bonds prospectus under Article 20(8) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 and to refuse to act as a Host Member State for passporting notifications or retail distribution within their jurisdiction. It calls on the Central Bank of Ireland to refuse any request to transfer any Israel Bonds prospectus to any competent authority.
List of signatories
ECCP – European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine, Aneta Jerska-Gawrys, coordinator
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson
Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg, Natalie Oberweiss, President
Sumud – The Finnish Palestine Network, Ida-Emilia Reini, Executive Director
The Rights Forum, Netherlands, Gerard Jonkman, Director
Rescop, Spain, Alicia Pino
MPPM – Portuguese Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and for Peace in the Middle East, Portugal, Carlos Almeida, President of National Board
BDS Berlin, Germany, Doris Ghannam
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Owen Reidy, General Secretary
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine, Aneta Jerska-Gawrys Coordinator
Fagforbundet (The Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees), Ingunn Eriksen, International Relations Department
Confederación Intersindical Galega (CIG)– Amanda Rei, Department of International Relations and Cooperation
Andalusian Workers’ Union, Maria Jose Lera, International Relations Department
LAB trade union, Koldo Saenz, International Relations Department
FNV NAWA working group (trade union), Netherlands, Eli Silvrants
Trade Union Friends of Palestine Ireland, Paul McSweeeny, Patricia McKeown, Co-Chairs
Corporate Europe Observatory, Olivier Hoedeman, Coordinator
Pax Christi International, Giulia Bordin, Advocacy officer
Priests Against Genocide – Czech Republic, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Spain, The Netherlands
Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance, Éamonn Meehan, Chairperson
Financial Justice Ireland (FJI), Hilary Darcy, Director
Social Democrats, Ireland, Cian O’Callaghan TD, Deputy Leader
Sinn Féin, Ireland, Mary Lou McDonald TD, Leader
People Before Profit, Ireland, Paul Murphy TD
The Green Party, Ireland, Roderic O’Gorman TD, Leader
Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Ireland
Lynn Boylan, MEP, (Sinn Féin), Ireland
Comhlámh Justice for Palestine, Ireland, Séan O Briain
Kairos Ireland, John Parklin, Chairperson
Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine, Angy Skuse
Dubs for Palestine, Ireland, David Hickey
Jews for Palestine, Ireland, David Landy
Trinity College Students Union, Ireland, Amy Kennedy, President
TCD BDS, Ireland, Séan Radcliffe
Academia for Palestine, Ireland
Gaels Against Genocide, Ireland, Michael Doherty
Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), Daire Dempsey, Executive Director
MPPM – Portuguese Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and for Peace in the Middle East, Portugal, Carlos Almeida, President of National Board
URAP – União de Resistentes Antifascistas Portugueses, Portugal, César Roussado, Member of Executive Board
Finnish-Arab Friendship Society, Finland, Seppo Rinne
BDS País Valencià, Spain, Jorge Ramos Tolosa
València és Refugi, Spain, Ana Isabel Martínez
Movimento per la Pau de la Marina Alta, Spain, Luisa Ivars
BDS Castelló, Spain, Piedad Mateu
Iniciativa por Palestina, Spain, Esmeralda Sierra
Collectiu Terres de l’Ebre amb Palestina, Spain, Núria Cid
Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Àrabe, Spain, Javier García
Voces por Palestina, Spain, Ahmed Hamdan
Cuenca con Palestina, Spain, Yolanda Ruiz
Coordinadora de Apoyo al Pueblo Palestino Camp de Morvedre, Spain, Encarnación Villarroya
Solidaridad para el Desarrollo y la Paz (SODePAZ), Spain, Daniel Cantero Plataforma Tenerife con Palestina, Spain, Maria Pilar Villarmin
Nederlands Palestina Komitee, Sonia Zarour
Sanitari@s per Palestina, Canary Islands, Spain, Isidoro Martin
Voces por Palestina, Madrid, Spain, Amer Sweis