COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s Treasurer Robert Sprague announced in a press release the purchase of a two-year, fixed-rate Israel Bond for $30 million.

The bond matures in two years, on May 1, 2026, at a 5.37% interest rate. The release notes that this replaces previous bonds for the same amount that had matured.

“For thirty-plus years, the Treasurer’s office has turned to Israel Bonds as a way to bring strong returns and balance to its investment portfolio,” Sprague said in the release. “With its long track record of providing competitive rates and timely and reliable repayments, Israel Bonds continues to be a sound investment for Ohio. We’re proud to continue the state’s long-standing history of purchasing these bonds.”

This announcement comes as pro-Palestinian protests erupt on college campuses around the country, including in Ohio.

The release goes on to note that Israel Bonds began in 1951 and, since then, have kept a “perfect record of interest and principal payments.”

It also states that all Ohio treasurers since 1993 have invested in these bonds along with “more than 115 other state and municipal public employee pension and treasury funds.”

“After the purchase, the Ohio Treasury now holds a total of $262.5 million in Israel Bonds, continuing Ohio’s standing as one of the largest government holders of these bonds in the United States,” the release concludes. “This purchase brings Ohio’s total purchases to $357.5 million since Treasurer Sprague took office.”