The Dáil Passes Occupied Territories Bill Passes Without Including Services
The Dáil Passes Occupied Territories Bill Passes Without Including Services
The Occupied Territories bill, banning the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories, has passed the final stage in the Dáil.
Today the Occupied Territories Bill passed without a vote in the final stage of the Dáil. This means that the bill is now passed to the Seanad and then will be signed into law.
What is The Occupied Territories Bill?
The Occupied Territories Bill does not ban trade with Israel, it only bans trade with goods manufactured within the Israel-occupied areas of Palestine. This occupied land is not internationally recognised as part of Israel, with this bill being a step to limit the economic viability of these illegally appropriated areas. It is estimated that over 6000 km² of land is illegally occupied by Israeli settlements. That’s about the same size as Galway County.
Why is this bill controversial?
The bill was passed without a vote, however some backlash has been received due to the lack of the mention of services included in legislation. Due to Ireland’s service based economy, a large amount of the economic interaction between Ireland and Israeli occupied territories will not be affected by this bill. It is estimated that almost 70% of Ireland economic trade with Israel is in services, which will continue as normal.
Very few large companies operate in occupied Palestinian land. However, with the inclusion of services, the bill could extend to ban the likes of Airbnb, JCB, Tripadvisor and many more construction and travel companies.
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