Workers’ Party condemn closing of Ireland Palestine Solidarity accounts by bank of Ireland

Party urges members and supporters to close accounts at B of I

The Workers’ Party have condemned the sudden closure by Bank of Ireland of the bank account of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign describing it as a politically inspired interference in a legal organisation which has significant support among the Irish people.

WP Dublin North West representative Jimmy Dignam said that the IPSC had been established over 15 years ago and had the support of a broad range of human rights bodies, trade unions and political parties including the Workers’ Party.

“The sudden and unwarranted decision of Bank of Ireland to close the IPSC account is clearly the result of pressure from pro-Israel groups, almost certainly supported by the Israeli embassy in Dublin. This pro-Israel lobby has little support among the Irish people who overwhelmingly support Palestinian self-determination and an end to mass punishment, massive military oppression of Palestinians the occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel”, said Dignam.

He reminded the Bank of Ireland that Israel’s aggressive stance towards the Palestinian people and its occupation of Palestinian territories has been declared illegal under international law and that the United Nations has on many occasions condemned Israel’s actions.

The Workers’ Party representative has urged party members and supporters to make a strong protest against the Bank of Ireland’s actions and for those with accounts at the bank to close them in protest at the move against the IPSC.

In a separate development, the party has also condemned moves against an anti-war seminar at Shannon, Co. Clare this weekend. A hotel in the area had without warning cancelled booking by the Shannonwatch which has organised legal surveillance of US military aircraft movements at the airport over the past 15 years. Other hotels had suddenly allegedly became booked out or were ‘undergoing renovations’. “Once again”, said Mr. Dignam, “we see progressive groups campaigning for peace and an end to human rights abuses, coming under attack in Ireland despite major public support. As in the case of the Bank of Ireland, the businesses in question need to learn that they will lose customers for taking such unwarranted actions against perfectly legitimate campaign groups” said Jimmy Dignam.