Irish sport figures call for Central Band of Ireland "to stop facilitating Israel’s genocide bonds"

A press conference calling for the Central Bank of Ireland "to stop facilitating Israel’s genocide bonds" is being held by leading Irish sportspeople this afternoon in Dalymount Park, Dublin.

Over 300 Irish sportspeople have signed the open letter to Swim Ireland CEO and CBI Board Member Sarah Keane, asking for her to call for an emergency meeting of the Banking Commission before the CBI is set to renew the prospectus to facilitate the sale of Israel’s genocide bonds this September.

Sarah Keane is a former President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland and the current CEO of Swim Ireland.

Signatories include Dublin football captain Con O'Callaghan, CEO of Bohemians FC and manager of Belfast rap trio Kneecap Daniel Lambert, Wrexham FC's James McClean and Irish National Cyclist Champion Imogen Cotter.

The signatories are “hoping to appeal to a colleague from the sporting world, to ensure that Irish sport in general is not tainted by association with Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” according to a press statement.

Attendees of the press conference include Irish rugby international Trevor Hogan, former Dublin County player David Hickey and former Irish basketball international Rebecca O’Keefe, among others.

"The Central Bank of Ireland is directly facilitating the sale of Israel Bonds, popularly known as ‘genocide bonds’ throughout the EU. It is the sole authority for the sale of these bonds in the EU."

The company annually renews its approval for the facilitation of the sale of these bonds.

The next renewal date is September 2 this year.

You can read the full open letter below:

To: Sarah Keane, Member of the Central Bank Commission

Re: The State of Israel Bond Issuance and Complicity in Genocide Irish Sport should not be associated with genocide

We are individuals from a number of Irish sports. We are writing to you in your capacity the CEO of Swim Ireland and a member of the Central Bank Commission. The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) is directly, and uniquely, facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds throughout the EU. It is the sole authority for the sale of these bonds in the EU.

We ask that, within your role with the Central Bank Commission, you call for the ending of the CBI’s facilitation of the State of Israel Bonds Issuance programme. The CBI is bound by the Genocide Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This is encoded in Irish law in the Genocide Act 1973. Persons contributing to and in the knowledge that genocide is happening are punishable under the Act, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.

Israel bonds are funding the mass death and destruction of the Palestinian people. These bonds enable Israel to buy the drones, bombs, white phosphorus – all the sinews of genocide are being facilitated by the sale these war bonds. The link between the dead Palestinians and the Central Bank is a straight line. No institution or individual truly committed to justice and human rights can remain complicit in the crimes of a regime that systematically violates international law and human dignity.

Please raise the ending of regulation of Israel Bonds as a matter of the gravest urgency with the CBI Banking Commission or demand an emergency meeting of the Banking Commission before the renewal date at the end of August. If you wish to consider this further, we would be more than willing to sit down and discuss this with you.