Occupied Territories Bill
The Occupied Territories Bill
Support and opposition
The bill was
The
Potential effects
Trócaire estimates that, as of 2019[update], Irish imports from Israeli settlements amount to between €500,000 and €1,500,000 each year, out of €50 million total Irish imports.
The bill would ban any goods or services produced, even partially, in the Israeli-occupied territories—including the Golan Heights—or by Israelis who travel, even temporarily, beyond the Green Line. It affects goods or services imported to Ireland as well as the transactions of Irish citizens, Irish companies, and companies with Irish subsidiaries worldwide.[19] The effects of this would cause companies operating in Israel, Ireland and the United States to choose between obeying the Irish law or United States anti-boycott legislation.[4][20] Especially considering that Ireland is a tax haven for many tech companies, from which the Irish government collects billions in corporate tax, the legislation has the potential to encourage some of them to relocate operations, according to a Bloomberg editorial and the Lawfare Project.[4][19]
According to foreign minister Simon Coveney—relying on legal advice from the Attorney General of Ireland, Séamus Woulfe—the law could result in Ireland being fined by the European Union for violating EU trade regulation.[8][21] Woulfe also said that the law would be "quite vague" and impractical to enforce.[21] The Lawfare Project is already preparing a lawsuit against the legislation on the grounds that it violates European Union law.[19] The Ireland Palestine Alliance, Sadaka, noting that one key argument by Coveney and the Government is that the Bill is not compatible with EU law, point to a legal opinion by Takis Tridimas, Professor of EU law at King's College London and practising EU lawyer, that the Bill is compatible with EU law.[22] Other legal authorities, including former Attorney General Michael McDowell argue that the bill would not contravene existing law or international obligations.[6] Trócaire cites two formal legal opinions that the bill is legal and permissible under EU law.[23]
Jackie Goodall of the Ireland Israel Alliance stated that
International reaction
Various American officials contacted Coveney, warning that commercial relations between their countries could be adversely affected by the passage of the bill.
The Israeli embassy in Ireland called the bill "immoral" and stated that "Closing doors will not in any way facilitate Ireland's role and influence."[28] Defence minister Avigdor Lieberman proposed shuttering Israel's embassy in Dublin.[29] Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated that the bill is "utterly contrary to the principles of free trade and justice".[3] Isaac Herzog wrote to Coveney, stating that the legislation "sets a dangerous precedent which is detrimental to the relations between our countries and to the chances of resolving the Israel Palestinian conflict by a negotiated compromise". He warned that the boycott might extend into Israel's 1948 borders, as most Irish people are not familiar with the intricacies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[25]
It has been characterized as "
References
- ^ a b Mulligan, Suzanne (22 March 2019). "Economics should not trump ethics when it comes to Occupied Territories Bill". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Houses of the Oireachtas. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b c Holmes, Oliver (11 July 2018). "Irish senate approves ban on products from Israeli settlements". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b c Lake, Eli (23 January 2019). "How Much Is Ireland Willing to Pay to Boycott Israel?". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b Black, Frances (22 July 2019). "July Update: Occupied Territories Bill". Senator Frances Black. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b Finn, Christina (28 November 2018). "Seanad passes Occupied Territories Bill despite government opposition". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Irish Parliament Votes on Banning Imports from Illegal Settlements". theGlobePost. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ O'Halloran, Marie (24 January 2019). "TDs back controversial occupied territories Bill, Independent Ministers abstain". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Oster, Marcy (24 January 2019). "Ireland advances bill on banning exports from 'occupied territories'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Harkov, Lahav (9 February 2020). "Will Sinn Féin's ascent hurt Israel-Ireland relations? – analysis". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Ireland's biggest parties vow to ban goods made in illegal Israeli settlements". Middle East Eye. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ "Settlement-boycotting parties win big in Irish election". Jerusalem Post. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ "Varadkar resigns as Irish government enters stalemate report". Middle East Eye. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ Ahren, Raphael (3 December 2019). "Visiting Israel, Irish FM says he's open for 'new thinking' on peace process". Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- The News Letter. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- The Globe Post. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "The nefarious Irish bill". The Jerusalem Post. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ The Lawfare Project. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Irish BDS bill anti- Semitic, bad for Ireland". San Diego Jewish World. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Attorney General warns Israeli goods bill would be 'impractical' to enforce". Irish Legal News. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "The Occupied Territories Bill in Dáil Éireann". Sadaka. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ "What you need to know about the Occupied Territories Bill". trocaire. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ a b "'Potentially massive losses' warned if Ireland approves BDS bill". Jewish News. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e McDermott, Stephen (17 May 2019). "Government told that Occupied Territories Bill could affect immigration status of Irish in US". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Cotter, Sean Phillip (23 January 2019). "Boston leaders rally against Irish proposal to ban goods from Israeli settlements". Boston Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ O'Halloran, Marie (27 February 2019). "Tánaiste declines to respond to US Congress 'veiled threat'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Finn, Christina (3 July 2018). "Fianna Fáil to support trade ban with lands held by Israel, but embassy calls it 'immoral'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Weiss, Mark (13 July 2018). "Israelis react to Seanad vote: 'We can manage happily without Ireland'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "What you need to know about the Occupied Territories Bill". 4 December 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
External links
- Oireachtas website, with progress updates, debates, and full text