Ireland has been ‘smeared' as a result of the Occupied Territories Bill, Foreign Affairs committee chair says
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The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
'Important step': Ban on services must be included in Occupied Territories Bill, committee says
LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago A BAN ON SERVICES should be included in the updated Occupied Territories Bill, an Oireachtas committee has recommended. The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade launched their pre-legislative scrutiny report on the proposed law today. In its current form, the Bill only applies to goods imported from illegal Israeli settlements, but the government has faced backlash for not including services, with Labour accusing the Taoiseach of instead publishing a 'retreat'. Micheál Martin has commented on the difficulty of incorporating services into the Bill, stating that it is 'genuinely more complex than goods transferring' due to issues over defining where the service originates. However, Simon Harris has vowed to seek their inclusion , if possible. The Occupied Territories Bill was first introduced by Independent Senator Francis Black in 2018 and proposed making it an offence 'for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in an occupied territory or to extract resources from an occupied territory in certain circumstances'. The slightly amended Bill proposed now by the Tánaiste would make it a crime under the Customs Act 2015 to import goods into Ireland that originate in Israeli settlements built over what is legally recognised as Palestinian land. Black said today that the recommendation from the cross-party committee is a 'hugely important step'. 'The inclusion of a ban on services, which would include tech and IT, is hugely significant,' she added, calling it a crucial component of the legislation. Speaking about the misinformation pushed about the Bill, she said the committee members 'saw through it', adding that it is important to state that the majority of businesses will not be impacted by the bill as they do not trade with the Occupied Territories. Advertisement The government must now deliver upon their promises to enact the legislation. 'I believe they will, I actually believe they will,' she told the media today. Senator Frances Black Chairperson of the Oireachtas committee, Fianna Fáil's John Lahart said while the Bill has been described as largely symbolic, it remains 'important'. He commented on how Ireland's reputation has been tarnished by some, stating that there have been smears and lies said about the country due to the position it has taken on this piece of legislation. The committee is invested in ensuring the country's objectives with this bill are communicated appropriately, he added, stating that Ireland should not suffer reputational damage over it. The committee also urged the government to make the Attorney General's advice on the Bill available to them. Also speaking at the launch today, Fianna Fáil TD and former Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said that if the government decides now not to include services in the bill, their reasoning will need to be 'as compelling' as the evidence the committee heard in relation to why services should be included. 'The evidence presented to us to include goods and services was overwhelming,' he said. Ó Fearghaíl added that he believes the government will include services in the bill. 'I would be quite confident that the government will use its influence through Europe, and the UN, and internationally to build support for this initiative,' he said. Likewise, Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan, who also sits on the committee, said: 'We cannot lose sight of what this is about. It's about the kids, the parents, the grandparents who are starving to death and dying on a daily basis. We can talk about financial, political [repercussions] but there is a serious moral issue here… We are a small country but we are a proud country with moral standards.' Needs to be enacted as soon as possible Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, has welcomed the committee's recommendation stating that the message to government is clear: 'We cannot have a watered-down Occupied Territories Bill. We need it to be comprehensive, we need it to have teeth and we need it enacted as soon as possible.' Related Reads Gaza mother: 'My children ask for food, and I can give them nothing' Simon Harris says he will try to make a 'national day of protest over Gaza' happen EU tells Israel to 'stop killing people' who are seeking food and aid 'It is a hugely significant step forward that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has recommended that the government legislation on the Occupied Territories include a ban on not only trade in goods, but also trade in services. 'The situation that we see on our television screens and on our phones on a daily basis is intolerable – we are seeing deliberate starvation and human suffering on an incredible scale, and we are seeing people shot as they queue for aid. The world cannot simply look on,' he said. The committee launching its report in Leinster House in front of the media. Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, who is a member of the committee and co-sponsor of the Original Occupied Territories Bill introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, welcomed the report and its strong recommendations, particularly the recommendation to end trade in both goods and services from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 'A euro of support is a euro of support' Speaking on the launch, Senator Higgins stated: 'The report is clear, there should be no dilution and no delays. The Committee want to see the Bill advanced as 'a matter of urgency' and believe it should include a prohibition of both goods and services in line with our obligations under international law.' Conor O'Neill, Christian Aid Ireland's Head of Policy and spokesperson for the Campaign to Pass the Occupied Territories Bill, said the committee has made it abundantly clear that Ireland needs to act. 'Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you're importing a box of olives produced on stolen Palestinian farmland or booking a holiday rental in a stolen Palestinian home on a service platform like Airbnb. 'A euro of support is a euro of support, and the ICJ was clear that all of it has to end. We are calling on the government to listen to the Foreign Affairs Committee and the ICJ and pass a full, effective Occupied Territories Bill as soon as the Dáil resumes in September,' he said. With reporting from Jane Matthews Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Government should combat 'smear campaigns' against OTB
The Government should consider putting in place resources to address international "smear" campaigns against the Occupied Territories Bill - including taking "proactive" EU, UN and US steps to address "misinformation" over the legislation. Members of the cross-party Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee called for the move after publishing their pre-legislative report on the bill. Among the document's 17 recommendations - which are based on meetings with relevant organisations and individuals over recent weeks - are that: The bill should include a ban on both services and goods from the occupied territories. "Potential legal challenges" should "not be used as grounds for diluting the legislation". A "clear timeline" should be published for when the bill will become law. The Government should encourage "like-minded" EU member states to draw up similar legislation. The Government should "undertake efforts to establish and publish a range of likely scenarios" to help businesses to cope with any possible financial difficulties. However, the report also states that politicians should work "closely with businesses in combating misinformation about the proposed bill". "The committee recommends that the Government continues to engage in proactive diplomacy at EU, UN and US levels, with a public communications campaign to inform the public and international observers of the relevant facts of the legislation and to address any misinformation or misconceptions." Committee chair John Lahart referred to recent "outdated tropes" made against Ireland due to the Occupied Territories Bill, including the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee's claim that Ireland should "sober up" in relation to the legislation. The Fianna Fáil TD said those comments were designed to "bully" and "press buttons", and that they need to be "faced down" by Ireland, saying that ambassadors, diplomats and other officials globally are watching what happens with the bill. Social Democrats senator Patricia Stephenson said there has been "escalation" of "misinformation" in relation to the bill in recent weeks, a view shared by a number of other committee members. Committee members confirmed that there was no disagreement over the final recommendations of the report, and that this was in part due to what they described as the changing atmosphere around the scenes in Gaza across all sides of the political spectrum. Independent senator Alice Mary Higgins said the report's recommendations are "very clear" on the need to include services as well as goods in any bill, while Labour TD Duncan Smith said the report sends "a very strong message" to Government. Committee members said at a press conference that any future Government version of the bill that does not include services would need to provide evidence that is stronger than what was provided to them in hearings. Independent senator Frances Black - who published the original version of the bill in 2018 - said the report publication is "a hugely important step" and that "the services issue is crucial". Senator Black said, "The committee is saying we want this, we want to do it right", and that any attempts at "scaremongering" should not take away from the fact Ireland would be "the first country to lead on this". She added that Ireland has led on similar international issues in the past, including against the apartheid regime in South Africa in the 1980s, and needed to do so again now. The committee's report has now been sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for further examination. While Government has promised to fast-track the bill, the Dáil's summer recess means no decision will be made until the Oireachtas returns in September, at the earliest.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Ireland has been ‘smeared' as a result of the Occupied Territories Bill, Foreign Affairs committee chair says
Ireland has been 'smeared' and 'bullied' over its stance on Gaza and the Occupied Territories Bill, chair to the Foreign Affairs Committee John Lahart has said.
