'Tax dollars for need, not genocide': Israeli bond buying sparks backlash

State and local governments across the US are scooping up Israeli bonds at record levels, lured by a mix of hefty returns and government incentives for Israeli debt, but the move is sparking backlash among some locals.

States across the US have accelerated their purchase of Israeli bonds since the Hamas-led 7 October attacks on southern Israel. Last year, Israel sold a record $3bn in bonds.

Israel’s need to fund its war on Gaza and the eagerness of many US state governments to buy Israeli debt has led to states becoming massive investors in the country.

Palm Beach County in Florida has now become the world's largest investor in Israeli bonds, with about $700m of its $4.67bn portfolio invested in the foreign country’s market, Joseph Abruzzo, clerk of the circuit court and comptroller, announced in March.

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