'Shameful' - Sinn Féin motion to stop sale of Israeli war bonds is defeated in Dáil

Pearse Doherty has said it is a “shameful night in Irish history” after a Sinn Féin motion to stop the sale of Israeli war bonds was defeated.

The Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025 was voted down by 87 votes to 75. The Israel Bonds are investment bonds issued by Israel to raise money and are advertised with the slogans “Israel is at war” and “Stand with Israel”.

To be sold within the EU, bonds from non-EU countries must be regulated by the Central Bank of a country that is in the EU. Before Brexit, Britain provided the gateway into the EU for Israel’s financing campaign. After Brexit, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) took over this role and last September, the CBI renewed its authorisation of Israel Bonds.

“Tonight is a shameful night in Irish history,” Doherty, Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Finance, posted afterwards. “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael vote against Sinn Féin’s Bill to stop Ireland being used to funnel money into Israel’s genocide in Palestine by facilitating sale of war bonds through the Irish Central Bank. Bonds that fund weapons to slaughter innocent men, women and children.

"Tonight the government voted against a bill that was legally sound and ready to go. A bill that would have ended Ireland's role in funding genocide and finally sanctioned Israel.

"Government has been misleading the public all week to cover up this act of cowardice. They do not speak for the Irish people. We will not give up.”

Opposition TDs from parties including Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats and People Before Profit stood up and held signs that said “stop financing genocide” and “ban Israeli bonds”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald posted: “Shame on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael! They have just voted down Sinn Féin’s Bill to stop the Irish Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds.

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“These bonds pay for the weapons used to slaughter men, women and children in their tens of thousands. This flies in the face of ordinary Irish people who stand for an end to the genocide, for an end to the occupation, for a free Palestine."

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) posted: "Another day of ignominy for our government and its supporters as the bill to stop the Central Bank regulating Israel's genocide bonds was defeated by 87 votes to 75 in the Dáil.

"Well done to Sinn Féin for bringing the bill and all the opposition TDs who voted for it and gave such a powerful rejection of this state's complicity in apartheid Israel's genocide of Palestinians. For almost two years our government has talked about what needs to be done to stop Israel's war crimes but done absolutely nothing to protect Palestinians from them. They are hiding behind words and so-called legal protocols but we see the truth of it and Ireland’s deepening complicity in the destruction of Gaza. Deeply shameful."

"Stop Financing Genocide!," Donegal TD Charles Ward posted. "The government has just rejected a proposal to prevent the Central Bank from authorising the sale of Israeli war bonds within the EU. This is a disgrace. We must not support the financing of genocide. The opposition parties are now working together to table a joint motion as the next step."