Irish Committee to Hear Opposing Views on Occupied Territories Bill

The Oireachtas Committee of Foreign Affairs is set to resume its consideration of the Occupied Territories Bill this afternoon, hearing from both proponents and opponents of the controversial legislation. The bill, also known as the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Bill, aims to prohibit the importation of goods from Israeli settlements.
Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter, representing the Ireland Israel Alliance, is expected to argue against the bill, calling it a “sectarian measure, based on falsehoods, riddled with anomalies and obscurity and detached from historical and present day reality.” He is also anticipated to claim the bill discriminates against Jewish people.
Conversely, Eamonn Meehan, Chair of the Ireland Palestine Alliance, will speak in favor of the bill. He will assert that the legislation is a “appropriate legal and necessary measure” given the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands, citing the UN’s International Court of Justice ruling that deemed Israel’s occupation illegal and called for an end to it, including the evacuation of existing settlements.
Following committee scrutiny, the proposed legislation is slated to return to the Dáil for further debate. However, with the Dáil adjourning for the summer on Thursday, additional discussion will be deferred until the autumn session.