‘Everybody will follow’ Irish ban on Israeli settlements trade, committee told

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

A ban on trade between Ireland and illegal Israeli settlements will prompt other countries to follow suit, a committee has heard.

Irish-Palestinian woman Fatin Al Tamimi, who is vice-chairwoman of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said Ireland passing the Bill would give Palestinians hope.

“Ireland, the world is watching. Please do your best to (do) the right thing, to pass this occupied territories Bill and give the 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.”

Israeli, Palestinian and Jewish representatives, including former justice minister Alan Shatter, appeared before TDs and senators on Tuesday to discuss the draft laws.

Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said the Bill was “performance politics dressed as principle” that does not help Palestinians.

Describing himself as a Dublin-born Jew, he said that criticism of Israel was not antisemitism, but “when criticism becomes a campaign and becomes law… we have to pause”.

He said the support for the Bill was done in “good faith” but was not a plan for peace.

He said “selective outrage” was not foreign policy and double standards do not serve peace efforts.

“This Bill, in tone and in consequence, isolates moderates and powers extremes and undermines the credibility that Ireland has built as a voice for reason and reconciliation in the field of peacebuilding.”

Natasha Hausdorff, a barrister with Ireland Israel Alliance, said the Bill would create “a government-required partial boycott of Israel”.

She said this would force US companies based in Ireland to violate federal anti-boycott laws that could see them given fines or prison sentences.

Both Mr Shatter and Ms Hausdorff said they did not accept Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands are illegal.

Labour TD Duncan Smith said that as Mr Shatter, Ms Hausdorff and Mr Cohen had not recognised that Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands were illegal, it “heavily” caveated their evidence.

“I think that’s a fundamental point here, in terms of this entire hearing (with Israeli/Jewish representatives), is that there is that fundamental disagreement.

“So we diverge at the very start with all witnesses on this.”