Bloody Sunday Trust and Gaels Against Genocide challenge GAA to 'Drop Allianz'

Pressure is mounting on the GAA to cease its relationship with Allianz Insurance.

The ‘Drop Allianz’ campaign was officially launched at a press conference at Croke park on Wednesday.

Derry’s Bloody Sunday Trust (BST) and Gaels Against Genocide have written to GAA President Jarlath Burns and ard stiúrthóir (director general) Tom Ryan respectively challenging  the organisation to drop Allianz as sponsor.

Tony Doherty, BST chairperson said it had taken the action given Allianz’s “role in enabling genocide in Gaza”. 

“Following the publication of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s report ‘From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide’ which detailed the extent of corporate complicity in the Gaza genocide, BST wrote directly to Jarlath Burns, in July,” added Mr Doherty. 

“The letter highlighted the specific paragraphs in the UN report focusing on the activities of insurance companies including Allianz which show, global insurance companies including Allianz also invest large sums in shares and bonds implicated in the occupation and genocide, partly as capital reserves for policyholder claims and regulatory requirements, but primarily to generate returns. 

“Their insurance policies also underwrite the risks other companies necessarily take when operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, thus enabling the commission of human rights abuses and “de-risking” the operational environment. 

“The report of the UN Special Rapporteur sets out a number of recommended actions in response to her findings of corporate complicity in the genocide. 

“These include a recommendation that all corporate entities promptly cease all business activities and terminate relationships directly linked with, contributing to and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people, in accordance with international corporate responsibilities and the law of self-determination,” said Mr Doherty.

He added: “In line with this BST asked the GAA to end its sponsorship arrangement with Allianz. Given the GAA’s unrivalled importance in Irish society this would be of major significance and set a precedent for other organisations and institutions to follow.”

Mr Doherty expressed his disappointment the GAA President has chosen not to respond either to BST’s original letter or a subsequent follow up letter.

Tony Doherty, chairperson of the Bloody Sunday Trust.

“As an Irish speaker, Jarlath Burns will be familiar with the proverb, ‘Ní féidir leis an ngobadán an dá thrá a fhreastal’, said Mr Doherty.

“At local level Gaels are acting in solidarity with Palestine to end the genocide. Meanwhile at corporate level Allianz is being allowed to sports wash its reputation through Gaelic games while it profits from that genocide. These positions cannot be reconciled and until resolved will leave the GAA open to the charge of corporate complicity,” he added.

“BST is therefore, publishing its letter to Jarlath Burns to coincide with the Drop Allianz protest at Croke Park organised by Gaels Against Genocide in Gaza and is calling on every GAA club in the country to join the Drop Allianz campaign.” 

Among the prominent Gaels from Derry and Donegal who have signed an open letter to GAA ard stiúrthóir (director general) Tom Ryan urging the association to “cease its relationship” with Allianz Insurance and “demonstrate its commitment to humanitarian law” were: Aoife Ní Chasáide, Joe Brolly, Shane McGuigan, and Brendan Devenney.

It is being spearheaded by four grassroots humanitarian organisations: Gaels against Genocide, Dubs against Palestine, Irish Sport for Palestine and Gaeil ar son Gaza.

The full text of the Bloody Sunday Trust's letter to GAA President Jarlath Burns read: 

"Jarlath, a chara, 

"I am writing to you as Chair of The Bloody Sunday Trust to ask that you end the GAA’s sponsorship arrangement with Allianz. 

"Background: The UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s recent report ‘From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide’ examines corporate complicity in the settler colonial project in Palestine and identifies those entities profiting from the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now genocide. 

"Under the section headed Enablers, which focuses on the financial and academic sectors paragraph 76 states that - Global insurance companies including Allianz and AXA also invest large sums in shares and bonds implicated in the occupation and genocide, partly as capital reserves for policyholder claims and regulatory requirements, but primarily to generate returns.

"Allianz holds at least $7.3 billion and AXA, despite some divestment decisions, still invests at least $4.09 billion in tracked companies named in the present report. Their insurance policies also underwrite the risks other companies necessarily take when operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, thus enabling the commission of human rights abuses and 'de-risking' the operational environment. 

"An earlier report produced by Boycott Bloody Insurance, a UK-based campaign calling on the insurance industry to cut ties with arms manufacturers supporting Israel, had also identified five major insurers that are complicit in the genocide in Gaza by supporting over a dozen defense companies that aid the Israeli military. 

"The top insurers featured in that report include Allianz, Aviva, AXA, Zurich Insurance Group, and RSA (Intact), all of which have contributed a total of $1.7 billion across 15 companies involved in Israeli militarism. 

"The Boycott Bloody Insurance report demonstrates that Insurance companies play a significant role in the arms manufacturing industry, aiding and profiting from the genocide in Gaza through their investments in companies and weapons manufacturers that provided Israel with equipment with the “full knowledge it was being used to target civilian populations”.

"Allianz has a stake in all 16 companies featured in the report, and invests over $452 million in BAE, Boeing, Caterpillar, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin which supplies the Israeli military with missiles and fighter jets. 

"According to the report, Aviva and Allianz respectively account for 51% and 26% of the total investments across the five insurers examined. 

"Recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur: In her report the UN Special Rapporteur sets out a number of recommended actions in response to her findings of corporate complicity in the genocide.

"These include that all corporate entities promptly cease all business activities and terminate relationships directly linked with, contributing to and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people, in accordance with international corporate responsibilities and the law of self-determination; 

"It is in line with this recommendation that the Bloody Sunday Trust is asking the GAA to end the sponsorship arrangement with Allianz if that organisation will not undertake to end all business activities and terminate all relationships directly linked with, contributing to, and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people. 

"I understand that there will be an internal decision making process within the GAA to be followed. 

"However Palestine is the most important moral issue of our time. The GAA is not only the greatest sporting body in Ireland but arguably the most influential social, cultural and community institution in Irish life. It is inconceivable that it would wish to maintain a relationship with a company identified by the UN as profiting from genocide. 

"The leadership you can show on this issue will be therefore be transformative, setting a precedent for others to follow. 

"I am available to meet to discuss this proposal together with the Trust’s solidarity work on Palestine in more detail if you wish." 

In a statement to The Derry News, a spokesperson for Allianz said: "Our long-standing partnership with the GAA is about supporting Irish sport and communities. Allianz Ireland is part of a global group, and while the wider group operates internationally across insurance and investment, as a matter of principle we do not comment on individual customers or business matters.

"What we can say is that all Allianz business decisions are guided by strict legal standards and world-leading ESG principles.”

The company also said it would not be providing any further comment beyond this.