'Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness?': US ambassador to Israel slams Occupied Territories Bill
Ambassador Mike Huckabee is one of a number of US politicians who has levelled criticism at Ireland for progressing the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of importation of Goods) Bill.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham and Republican congressman Pete Stauber have also taken to social media in the last 24 hours to express their opposition to the bill.
'I hope that Ireland will reconsider their efforts to economically isolate Israel, as they are in a fight for their very existence,' wrote Graham in a post on X.
He added that he does not believe it would be 'well received' in the US and that it 'certainly would not go unnoticed'.
Stauber said Ireland was 'making a serious mistake' and described banning good from Israeli businesses operating in Palestine as 'antisemitic' and something that would have 'serious ramifications for American businesses'.
'Ireland must reconsider,' he said on X.
Graham and Stauber both shared
an opinion piece published by The Hill
, in which its authors outlined potential legal risks for US companies arising from the bill.
The opinion piece also failed to mention the reason why the bill was drafted and did not reference Palestine or the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice that ruled Israel's occupation and settlements illegal.
Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness & propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication? It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up Ireland! Call
@IsraelMFA
& say you're sorry!
https://t.co/aiOcmCQWZ8
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee)
July 16, 2025
Huckabee took a different approach in his criticism.
'Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness & propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?' he asked in a post on X.
'It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up Ireland!' he said, telling the government to call the Israeli foreign affairs ministry and 'say you're sorry!'
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A major pro-Israel organisation, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has also weighed in on the topic, saying it was 'deeply concerned' by the proposed legislation.
'The bill singles out Israel and will only fuel already rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism in Ireland. We continue to stand with the Irish Jewish community,' it said on X.
We're deeply concerned by proposed legislation in Ireland that would boycott Israeli goods, products and materials from the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. The bill singles out Israel and will only fuel already rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism in Ireland.
We continue to…
pic.twitter.com/DEL8xWysNC
— ADL (@ADL)
July 16, 2025
Accusations of antisemitism from pro-Israel politicians, Israeli government officials and partisan interest groups have been levelled at the Irish government throughout Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, where more than 58,000 people have been killed since October 2023.
After Ireland intervened in South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, where Israel faces accusation of committing genocide in Gaza, Israel closed its embassy in Dublin. The closure also followed Ireland's recognition of the State of Palestine.
The bill to ban the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements has existed in some form since 2018, but now that it has entered the pre-legislative process, it has attracted international attention, both positive and negative.
The government's bill has replaced the Occupied Territories Bill first drafted by senator Frances Black.
At an
Oireachtas committee hearing yesterday
, former justice minister Alan Shatter compared it to legislation passed by Nazi Germany.
At the same hearing, Irish-Palestinian woman Fatin Al Tamimi, who is vice-chairwoman of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said that passing the bill would give Palestinians hope.
'When Ireland starts, everybody will follow on because it's a legal obligation, it's a moral obligation for all countries, including Ireland.
'It is important for Ireland to start, and then everybody will follow.'
Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online.
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