Members of the Drogheda Stands with Palestine group have been protesting every Saturday for over two years. Deputy Nash says it is now time for action.

Labour’s Finance Spokesperson, local TD Ged Nash, has launched a campaign urging people across Ireland to contact their pension managers/trustees or investment providers to ensure they are not, directly or indirectly, investing in enterprises operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, registered or headquartered in Israel, or supplying the Israeli Defence Forces with goods or services.

The call follows the publication of limited Government legislation which fails to ban the provision of services – such as tech infrastructure and tourism – that help sustain Israel’s illegal occupation. The Labour Party is pressing for stronger measures, including support for the full, original version of the Occupied Territories Bill. In the meantime, this campaign calls on workers to act now and demand transparency about how their savings are being used.

Deputy Nash said:

“We’ve all looked on in horror as a livestreamed genocide continues to unfold in Gaza. Nearly 55,000 Palestinians have been killed. Homes, hospitals and schools have been flattened. More than 750,000 Israeli settlers now live illegally on stolen Palestinian land. The time for statements of concern has long passed. The time for action is now.

“This Government’s action does not go far enough. Look at the new Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Goods) Bill. By refusing to ban services, it leaves open a major loophole that allows Irish firms to profit from the occupation. This is despite the clear advice of over 400 Irish legal experts who say banning services is legally sound under EU and international law. The only thing missing is political will.

“That’s why Labour is calling on people to take direct action. We’re encouraging workers to ask a simple but powerful question: Are my pension or investment funds helping to finance unlawful Israeli settlements or the Israeli military? We’ve done it before – Ireland was the first country in the world to ban imports from apartheid South Africa. Now is the time to stand on the right side of history again. Working people must use every means at our disposal, in this case the agency to direct where our pension or PRSA savings are directed, to shout stop.

“While Labour continues to push for the passage of the Occupied Territories Bill – and one that includes both goods and services – this campaign gives people a practical and immediate way to challenge unethical investment. This is how we hold companies and the financial services sector to account on the moral question of our time, and it’s how we show solidarity with those who are suffering the most. 

“The Labour Party, with the support of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, is asking people across the country to email their pension and investment providers today. Demand to know where your hard-earned money is going. Demand to know whether your pension savings are helping fund war crimes. Silence is complicity – we must act.”

Link to the Labour Party campaign and letter: https://labour.ie/campaigns/lets-take-action-against-occupation-together/