Opposition parties offer to ease through Israeli imports law before election

Opposition parties are urging the Government to push through a bill next week that would ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have put time aside in the Dail next week to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, which Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns said would “send a powerful message”.

Ireland’s deputy premier, Micheal Martin, said the bill needs to be “substantially” amended and will not be progressed before an election is called.

Independent Senator Frances Black’s bill, tabled in 2018, has been frozen for years in the legislative process due to concerns that it would breach EU law.

But the Irish government has said in recent weeks that an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the summer, that declared that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law and states have an obligation not to facilitate it, has changed the context.

The coalition has been put under pressure to pass the bill before Parliament is dissolved ahead of the election.

It is expected that an election will be called next week and Friday November 29 is seen as the most likely date to be announced.

Tanaiste, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, said on Thursday the Government would aim to move the bill to committee stage next week to prove their “bona fides”.

“What I’m hoping to do, and I’ll have to consult with the chair of the foreign affairs committee, is that we believe that a hearing on the bill next week would be a demonstration of our bona fides in respect of progressing this legislation,” he said.

“It will not be progressed before a general election but, of course, if it’s at committee stage, it can be reintroduced at committee stage in a new Dail and that would be the intention.”

He said that the bill needs “significant” amendment, which he said has been acknowledged by Senator Black, while opposition parties have said the amendments are “technical”.

Mr Martin said: “The amendments are around making it constitutionally safe from challenge and also other aspects of the bill in terms of ensuring that we can strengthen it to withstand any challenge that could come against the bill.

“It would be focusing on the public policy interest framework within existing legal frameworks and also then situating it in the context of the conclusions of the ICJ advisory opinion.”

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said passing the bill could be “a fitting end to this Dail term and send a powerful message of solidarity to the Palestinian people”.

Her party and Sinn Fein have set aside four hours of Dail time to facilitate the enactment of the bill.

“I am urging the Government to seize this valuable opportunity to get this important bill, which would prevent Ireland from importing goods that originate from illegal Israeli settlements, over the line,” Ms Cairns said.

“As the Government’s proposed amendments to the bill are believed to be technical in nature, there is no reason why this legislation could not be passed within the additional Dail time offered by the Opposition today.”

“It must not squander this opportunity to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.”

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “If the Government are sincere, and if they are serious – and I really hope that they are – I am asking them to avail of the opportunity that we will give them next week to make this bill law. We are ready for that.”