Ireland Debates Controversial Bill Prohibiting Trade With Israeli Settlements During Heated Oireachtas Hearing
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade convened in Dublin’s Leinster House on Tuesday to debate the Occupied Territories Bill, proposed legislation that would ban imports of goods and services from Israeli settlements in the disputed territories. The hearing drew sharp divisions over legality, morality, and Ireland’s place in international diplomacy.
The bill, formally titled the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Bill, seeks to align Irish trade policy with international law. The International Court of Justice has found the Israeli settlements illegal under international law, though that ruling is advisory in nature. Supporters argue that Ireland should take a stand against Israeli settlements, while opponents warn of serious diplomatic and economic fallout.
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Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe came under fire in a parallel debate over the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which had previously invested €2.62 million in Israeli bonds. Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty condemned the investments, saying, “You’re the bloody Minister for Finance … investing in genocide, no ifs, no buts, no maybes.” Donohoe insisted ISIF’s decisions are made independently and confirmed that the bonds had been sold in recent weeks.
During the committee session, former Justice Minister Alan Shatter called the bill “the first ‘Boycott Jews Bill’ published by any European government since 1945” and accused lawmakers of choosing false moral posturing over substance. Chair of the Jewish Representative Council Maurice Cohen expressed fear within Ireland’s Jewish community. Legal Director of UK Lawyers for Israel, Natasha Hausdorff, argued the bill violates EU trade laws and would “create grave risks for US businesses in Ireland.”
Supporters of the bill, including Éamonn Meehan of Sadaka and Dr. John Reynolds of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, defended it as a principled response to unlawful settlement activity and urged Ireland to lead by example.
The bill will return to the Dáil for further debate after the summer recess.
