Suzanne Harrington: Ireland stays on the right side of history when it comes to Palestine
First that London gig which landed Mo Chara in court, now Bob Vylan at Glastonbury. ('Sir' Rod Stewart can, however, express heartfelt support for far-right racist Nigel Farage, with zero consequences. Almost as if far-right racism is fine now).
Bob Vylan and Kneecap performed back to back at Glastonbury on a blazing Saturday afternoon amid a sea of Palestinian flags; earlier on the Pyramid stage, magnificent Irish pop queen CMAT led chants of Free Palestine.
But all eyes were on Kneecap. While everyone from Keir Starmer to the Daily Mail had been pressuring Glastonbury's Eavis family to drop Kneecap from their line-up, and the BBC was clutching its pearls about broadcasting the West Belfast trio live on the West Holts stage, Bob Vylan stepped up. They seized the moment.
'Death, death to the IDF' may not be the subtlest of words, but neither is the Israel Defense Forces subtle in its genocidal deeds.
A reported 372 Palestinian people were murdered by the IDF over the same few days we were soaking up the music on a peaceful Somerset farm.
Bob Vylan — two unarmed vegans from Ipswich, Bobby and Bobbie — voiced what so many of us helpless bystanders wish to see: the disbanding of a death squad.
To call their words antisemitic is like calling the condemnation of Islamic death squads Islamophobic — except the IDF are 'legitimate'. The BBC continues to call the genocide a 'conflict'.
Hence the police investigation, revoked visas, and cancellation — of the two musicians, not the death machine.
For their trouble, Bob Vylan have been dropped by their agent, dropped from headlining a forthcoming music event, and reported with zero accuracy by the Daily Mail on its front page in banner headlines as saying — with quotation marks — 'Death to Israelis'.
This headline was extraordinary in its blatant untruth, and so easily checkable. Almost as though the truth doesn't matter anymore.
Yet when an Israeli rap duo called Ness & Stilla released a track titled Harbu Darbu [translated as 'war strike'/ 'mayhem'], praising the IDF and calling for the mass murder of Palestinians, whom they termed 'rats', and for the death of anyone opposed to Palestinian genocide — specifically Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid — there was zero outrage. Just millions of YouTube views.
In the UK, a Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, has been expelled from the party for speaking up against the genocide. A protest group, Palestine Action, has just been proscribed as 'terrorist'— a bit like Mo Chara — which means you could get up to 14 years in jail if you support them.
A disabled man, dressed as Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator character, was dragged off his mobility scooter and bundled into a police van at a Palestine Action support protest this week. Mo Chara is back at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 20.
Unlike in Ireland, the dominant UK narrative is that supporting Palestinians is supporting terrorism. Bob Vylan used their platform to non-violently criticise mass murder, and are being hung out to dry for their trouble. How can words be terrorist, while state terrorism gets off scot-free?
Once again, bravo Ireland for being on the right side of history. A lone cry of sanity amid the crushing silence of collusion.
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES WERE made when Michael McGrath, Ireland's then Minister for Finance, announced the State's divestment from six companies with ties to illegal Israeli settlements. The decision, made in April 2024, was soon followed up by the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). Up until that point, Ireland directly invested in 11 companies with ties to settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, and the State's divestment from six of these brought the total down to five. But through involvements in those five companies, the ISIF may still be investing millions in businesses with links to settlements that are considered illegal under international law. It also recently emerged through Parliamentary Questions that the State is also investing in another three more companies with ties to settlements indirectly, through its shares in hedge funds and other similar vehicles. 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The UN list was first compiled in 2020 by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and named 112 (mostly Israeli) companies that it deemed were involved in 'certain specified activities related to the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem'. Companies on this list are deemed to be involved in any of 10 different activities that are deemed to facilitate the existence of Israeli settlements. This includes things like providing equipment and materials to help build settlements, the supply of equipment to demolish property, farmland and crops belonging to Palestinians, or providing surveillance technology to be used in settlements. The vast majority of companies on the list are listed for three reasons: The provision of services or utilities that support the ongoing existence of settlements, including transport; The provision of banking and financial services to support the development, expansion or maintenance of settlements (such as loans for housing and business); The use of natural resources within the occupied territories for business purposes, especially water and land. The database was updated in 2023 after 15 companies provided sufficient information to the UN to show that they had ceased involvement in the activity that got them on the list in 2020, or had changed their structure so that they were no longer linked to settlements. The database is broken down into four sections comprising: a list of the 15 companies that are no longer deemed to be linked to settlements; a list of 79 companies deemed to directly support Israeli settlements; a list of 17 businesses linked to settlements as parent companies; one company deemed to support settlements through its activity as a licensor or franchisor. Until 2024, Ireland directly invested €4.2 million in 11 of these companies before divesting from six of them, with that divestment comprising a total value of €2.95 million worth of holdings. The divestments were from five Israeli banks (Bank Hapoalim BM; Bank Leumi-le Israel BM; Israel Discount Bank Ltd; Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd; First International Bank Ltd) and an Israeli supermarket chain called Rami Levi Chain Stores Ltd. At the time that the planned divestment was flagged in late 2023, Michael McGrath responded to criticism by Sinn Féin that the Government should divest from all companies with links to settlements by saying that the Government wanted to take a comprehensive approach to examining the issue. He explained that the UN has said its list is not complete, and thus suggested that it would require careful research by the ISIF to ensure that divestments were being made for the right reasons. There have been no divestment announcements regarding any of the other five companies since. Asked to confirm whether the investments in the five are still active, a spokesperson for the ISIF told The Journal Investigates that its 2023 annual report is the most up-to-date list of investments by the fund, and added that the fund's 2024 annual report will be published shortly. In April, it emerged in response to a Parliamentary Question by Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy that the ISIF also indirectly held investments – which are usually made via hedge funds or mutual funds – in three other companies on the UN database in 2023. It brought the overall number of investments held by the fund in companies on the database that year to eight (comprising five companies with direct investments and three with indirect investments only). By the end of 2023, the total value of these investments was more than €10 million. Airbnb – Accommodation Investments: ~€310,000 (direct) One of the few household names on the UN's list, Airbnb is also one of the better-known companies on the ISIF's portfolio. It is one of just eight non-Israeli companies that appear on the UN database for its direct involvement in a listed activity relating to settlements. Five of those businesses are online accommodation companies (more on the others below), all of which are deemed to provide 'services or utilities' because they list properties to rent in occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories. The only one of the five platforms that feature on the UN database which the ISIF did not invest in was the UK-based Opodo. The other four have been criticised by groups including Amnesty Intertnational for facilitating the normalisation of illegal settlements by advertising them as tourist destinations, and allowing settlers – and by extension, the websites themselves – to earn an income from land that was stolen from Palestinians. A sign advertises Israeli tourism near the Jewish settlement Psagot in the West Bank Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Using these websites to find accommodation in illegal settlements is not particularly difficult. The Journal Investigates searched Airbnb and found a number of current listings for properties that are based in settlements in the West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. As well as causing the company to feature on the UN's database, these properties – and Airbnb's former attempts to stop featuring them – have prompted a number of legal actions against the company. In Ireland, the pro-Palestine campaign group Sadaka (unsuccessfully) complained to Gardaí that Airbnb Ireland is guilty of money-laundering, because it argued that Israeli settlers are profiting from properties located in settlements that are deemed illegal under international law. Airbnb Ireland denies accusations of money laundering and gardaí made the decision not to investigate the complaint. Sadaka has since launched judicial review proceedings against that decision in the High Court. Advertisement In the US and Israel, Airbnb also found itself at the centre of a different legal challenge over its decision to remove around 200 listings for accommodation in West Bank settlements that it said 'are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians'. It settled four of those legal challenges and reversed its decision to remove the properties the following year. The company said at the time that it would instead donate all profits from its listings in the occupied West Bank to 'non-profit organisations dedicated to humanitarian aid that serve people in different parts of the world'. The Journal Investigates contacted Airbnb Inc for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. Recent statements given by the company to other news outlets have pointed to its donation of profits from host activity in the West Bank to an international charity. Alstom SA – Transport Investments: ~€210,000 (direct) & ~€75,000 (indirect) Among the lesser-known names on the list, Alstom is a French multinational that is one of the world's largest rail companies. It manufactures rolling stock and other forms of rail infrastructure, including high-speed trains, metros, monorails and trams, as well as signalling. Among its most famous products are trains for France's high-speed intercity rail service, the TGV. The company previously worked in the energy and shipbuilding sectors, until it was given a €3.4 billion bailout by the French government in 2003 and sold its power and grid divisions to General Electric in 2014. In 2021, the company also acquired Bombardier Transportation, a rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer that was a subsidiary of Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier. As a result of that acquisition, Alstom is listed as a parent company on Section C of the UN database for two reasons: for providing transport infrastructure that supports the existence of Israeli settlements, and because of its use of natural resources in occupied territories for business purposes. A tram on Jerusalem's Red Line Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Through Bombardier Transportation, Alstom became indirectly linked to the supply of rolling stock for the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem train line, which passes through parts of the occupied West Bank . The company told Le Monde in August 2024 that it 'participated in the maintenance of Jerusalem's light rail red line', which connects the city to occupied East Jerusalem, though it says this has ceased. A spokesperson for Alstom told The Journal Investigates that Alstom does not have any activity within or related to occupied Palestinian territories, and that the company has requested removal from the UN database when it is next updated. The government has previously said that the ISIF continues to monitor its holdings, and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has told the Dáil that it is unclear how much income companies like Alstom derive from the occupied territories. Altice – Communications Investments: ~€862,000 (indirect) Altice International is another of the less familiar businesses in whom the ISIF has invested. The company was founded by French-Israeli businessman Patrick Drahi in Luxembourg in 2001, and provides internet, phone and television services throughout Europe, the United States, Israel and within occupied Palestinian territories. It is listed on the UN database for the same two reasons as Alstom: providing a service that supports the existence of Israeli settlements, and because of its use of natural resources with the occupied territories. It is specifically listed in Section C because it is the parent company of the Israeli mobile phone and telecoms providers Hot Mobile and Hot Telecommunication Systems. Through both companies, settlers in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights can access mobile phone services, cable television, landline phone services and broadband. Both companies are also listed separately in Section B of the UN database, though the ISIF does not invest in them. The Journal Investigates contacted Altice for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. Last year, it referred similar queries by French newspaper Le Monde to a press release which said that the company 'respects local regulations'. Booking Holdings – Accommodation Investments: ~€920,000 (direct) & €691,768 (indirect) Like Airbnb, Dutch-based is another of the five online accommodation companies that feature on Section B of the database for listing properties to rent in the occupied territories. Its US parent company Booking Holdings, which the Irish government directly invests in, is also listed on Section C of the list for the same reason. As with Airbnb, The Journal Investigates browsed and was easily able to find hundreds of listings for hotels and guesthouses, including with names written in Hebrew, based in settlements in the West Bank, the Golan Heights and occupied East Jerusalem. Above the listings, the website features a notice that urges visitors to 'review any travel advisories provided by your government to make an informed decision about your stay in this area, which may be considered conflict-affected'. A sign points to Israeli tourists sites and activities in the Jewish settlement Shilo in the West Bank Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo However, there is no indication that the properties are based in or near illegal settlements. The company announced in September 2022 that it would start adding safety guidance to any listings in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, including guidance that the reservations are 'occupied'. It subsequently backtracked on this policy the following month after pressure from the Israeli government, and instead opted to use the term 'conflict-affected' in its warnings. In a statement to The Journal Investigates, a spokesperson for said the company believed it was 'not our place to decide where someone can or cannot travel'. They added that there are 'many parts of the world where there are conflicts or disputes' and that the company seeks to inform tourists by adding information or prompts to consult government advice in listings for areas that are 'disputed or impacted by conflict'. Delek Group Ltd – Transport Investments: ~€214,000 (indirect) The only Israeli company on the UN database that the Irish government invests in, energy conglomerate Delek Group is best-known in Israel as the operator of a chain of filling stations and convenience stores. The ISIF's investment in the company is indirect, which means that it did not directly buy shares or provide capital to Delek, but instead invested in it through an intermediary such as a fund or financial institution that handles investment decisions on Ireland's behalf. Sign up The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here... Sign up .spinner{transform-origin:center;animation:spinner .75s infinite linear}@keyframes spinner{100%{transform:rotate(360deg)}} You are now signed up A search of Google Maps reveals that Delek Group operates at least two petrol stations near a settlement within the West Bank, as well as a handful of others near settlements in the Golan Heights. Delek petrol stations inside the West Bank and Golan Heights The UN database says the company features on the list for providing a service that supports settlements, including transport, as well as the use of natural resources for business purposes. Delek Group is also linked to the activities of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF): under a contract agreed in 2020, the IDF listed Delek as one of two companies whose petrol stations are allowed to be used by military vehicles to refuel. The Journal Investigates contacted Delek Group for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication and no other recent statements on the company's position about its activities in occupied Palestinian territories could be found. A Delek station in Katzrin in the Golan Heights. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Expedia Group – Accommodation Investments: ~€260,000 (direct) & ~€985,200 (indirect) Yet another of the five online accommodation platforms on Section B of the UN list, Expedia Group is the owner of a travel booking site under its own name, as well as a number of others including Trivago and Vrbo. It also features on the database because it lists properties to rent in settlements in occupied territories. The Journal Investigates searched on Expedia for accommodation for July and August and found dozens of listings based in settlements in the West Bank, parts of occupied East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Similar listings were also found via and Vrbo, including one in Efrat whose main image featured an Israeli flag hanging from the balcony of a property. None of these listings contained any reference to the fact they are located in illegal settlements. Expedia's only indication that properties may be based in settlements is via its search tool (which is also used on and Vrbo), where location data includes 'Israeli Settlement, Palestinian Territories' when a person specifically looks for properties in a settlement in the West Bank. However, the search function lists the Golan Heights as being part of Israel, and the location tag does not feature for properties based in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The Journal Investigates contacted Expedia Group for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. The company has said that accommodation listings in occupied Palestinian territory have been clearly identified as Israeli settlements, and previously responded to criticism in 2019 saying it would 'continue to assess the type of information' it provided to tourists. Motorola Solutions – Security Investments: ~€700,000 (direct) & ~€3.9 million (indirect) Not to be confused with the telecoms company of the same name, with whom it split in 2011, Motorola Solutions specialises in security products and systems such as video equipment and command centre technology. Both Motorola Solutions Inc and its subsidiary, Motorola Solutions Israel, feature on the UN database for two reasons: providing services to support settlements; and for the supply of security services and equipment to companies that operate in settlements. The two companies are among just six that appear on the list for supplying security, and their systems feature throughout the occupied territories, along the separation wall in the West Bank, and at Israeli military bases. A CCTV camera over the wall separting Israel and the West Bank in Bethlehem Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In 2012, a report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine Richard Falk said that Motorola Solutions Israel supplied surveillance systems, radar detectors and mobile communications systems to settlements. 'Beyond sustaining the settlements, these security systems further limit the Palestinians' freedom of movement within their territory,' Falk said at the time. Human rights groups have also highlighted how the company's MotoEagle Wide Area Surveillance System – which uses radars and cameras to detect movements - has been used as a 'virtual fence system' in dozens of illegal settlements. The Journal Investigates contacted Motorola Solutions for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. The company has previously told a number of outlets that it supports 'efforts in the region to find a peaseful resolution to the conflict'. Tripadvisor – Accommodation and tourism Investments: ~€1.07 million (direct) . US travel platform Tripadvisor is another of the five major tourism companies to feature on the UN database for listing accommodation in the occupied territories. Unlike the other tourism websites on this list, Tripadvisor provides a range of services on top of accommodation, including flight bookings, restaurant reservations, and user-generated content such as reviews and travel guides. The Journal Investigates was able to find a number of listings for holiday lettings via Trivago's website in settlements based in the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Once again, there was no indication that these properties are based in illegal settlements, aside from a disclaimer at the top of Tripadvisor's search which reads: 'Due to safety risks in parts of this area, travellers should review the latest guidance and information from government agencies.' Israeli settlers harvesting grapes in the West Bank to produce wine in the Jewish settlement Psagot Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The website was also found to recommend activities and tours within settlements, including tours, shopping, a shooting range and a craft workshop in the region of Gush Etzion, wineries in Psagot and Shilo, and a farm in Kibutz Almog. Location information on the individual Tripadvisor pages for these activities states they are located in Israeli settlements. The Journal Investigates contacted Tripadvisor for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. The company has previously said that it does not believe in withholding travel information from users, and aims to provide 'an apolitical, accurate and useful picture of all accommodations, restaurants and attractions'. The Journal Investigates Reporter: Stephen McDermott • Investigation Editor: Sinead O'Carroll • The Journal Investigates Editor: Maria Delane y • Social Media: Cliodhna Travers • Main Image Design: Lorcan O'Reilly Investigations like this don't happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: Support The Journal
