Residents sue Palm Beach County over its investment in Israel

On May 15, one of the hottest days of the year in Florida, dozens of organizers and community members gathered outside the Palm Beach Courthouse to file an unprecedented lawsuit against the county. The groups are suing Palm Beach County over its substantial financial ties to Israel by taking aim at its investment portfolio, which includes a staggering $700 million in Israeli bonds.

The decision to take legal action comes amid Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has killed more than 35,200 Palestinians since October. The U.S.-backed siege and bombing have sparked outrage from historians, Holocaust scholars, foreign policy experts, and community members, who have labeled it a “textbook case of genocide.”

Palm Beach County has invested 22 times more in Israeli bonds than any other county in the country. This unprecedented investment level has drawn sharp criticism from Palm Beach residents, who believe that allocating such a significant amount of public funds to foreign bonds is both reckless and morally questionable.