Palestinian solidarity campaigners were outside Barclays Bank’s Annual General Meeting in London this week to call out their complicity with Israel’s genocide in Gaza while others, inside the hall, disrupted the meeting to protest against the bankrolling of Israeli terror in Palestine.

Barclays holds over two billion pounds-worth of shares and provides £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting to nine companies whose weapons, components and military technology are being used by Israel in its attacks on Palestinians.

Israel has committed to intensifying its genocide in Gaza by sending yet more troops into the Palestinian enclave.

An Israeli government minister has said Gaza is “to be entirely destroyed”. We must respond by escalating our campaigning against corporations that enable Israel’s atrocities.

Barclays has an agreement with Israel to act as a ‘primary dealer’ for its government bonds. This means it directly helps Israel sell bonds to raise money to fund its genocide against the Palestinians. Barclays has underwritten at least £500 million of Israel government bonds since October 2023.

In addition, Barclays provides investment and loans worth billions to arms companies supplying Israel with the weapons and military technology it uses in its crimes against Palestinians. There must be no business-as-usual for companies like Barclays while they enable Israel’s genocide.