The closure of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) bank accounts by Bank of Ireland in September 2016 was met with anger and described by the widely-respected advocacy organisation as a “frankly shocking move”.
The bank stated that maintenance of the IPSC accounts no longer met its “risk appetite”.
The closure was the latest of a number of similar actions across Europe, including in Britain, Germany, France, and Austria. The Irish Trade Union Friends of Palestine group and most recently the German branch of European Jews for a Just Peace have all fallen victim to such closures by different banks.
The move caused widespread anger and saw politicians, unions, NGOs and public figures including Mike Murphy and Brian Kerr condemned the action. Thus far the Bank has refused to reverse its decision. The IPSC has now had to make alternative banking arrangements.
Chairperson of the IPSC, Fatin Al Tamimi said: “Israel has boasted of conducting a global campaign of ‘lawfare’ – using legal and other punitive threats to silence and attack supporters of Palestinian rights. It’s difficult to escape the conclusion that this attack on the IPSC’s ability to bank is political in nature and forms part of this wider attack on organisations that advocate for Palestinian rights as enshrined in international law.”
