Occupied Territories Bill Ireland: Irish government fails to explain why it published plan for partial Israel trade ban - but scrapped it three days later

The Occupied Territories Bill aims to ban all Irish trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza – and was a prominent part of the new Irish government’s Programme for Government (PfG).

(The UN classifies such Israeli settlements as illegal, which Israel rejects.)

The bill would apply to goods, services and resources originating in illegal settlements anywhere in the world. Breaching it would be punishable by a fine of up to £208,000 or up to five years in jail.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris confirmed a new PfG – including the bill – on 16 January.

However, only three days later - on Sunday - Mr Martin told a special Fianna Fáil ard fheis called to ratify the PfG that every part of the bill would have to be amended.

Former Irish ambassador to the United States Dan Mulhall previously warned that the new Trump Administration in the US would have a "gung-ho attitude" in support of Israel and there were implications for Ireland if the bill was passed.

Siilarly, former Irish envoy to the US Congress John Deasy also raised concerns. He said: "When it comes to the pro-Israel lobby in Washington DC…it's true to say that if they put their minds to it, they have so much influence, could they damage Ireland?...Yes they could. They are an incredibly influential group."

Mr Martin was asked by reporters on Sunday about the fate of the bill, following a report in the Irish Mail on Sunday that claimed the Irish Government was set to drop it to appease Trump

Mr Martin said: “What I can say is I instructed my officials prior to the general election to work on amendments to the then Occupied Territories Bill. All that work has been done. And, in fact, virtually every section of that Bill will have to be amended.

“So, the issue is whether we have a new Bill, which I think probably we’ll move towards a new Bill in respect of imports into Ireland from the Occupied Territories, because I think it needs a full debate in the Dail second stage and so on like that.

“In terms of the legislation, it’s acknowledged by all sides in relation to this Bill that the Bill was unconstitutional as drafted, and in other areas was deficient also.”

The News Letter asked the Department of Taoiseach and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs if it was not highly irregular to scrap an entire bill from the published PfG only three days after it was published? The News Letter also asked if they did not realise that incoming US President Donald Trump would strongly oppose the bill? Neither department offered any response to the questions at the time of going to press.

On Monday, Senator Frances Black - who drafted the original bill in 2018 - hit back at reports of a replacement, which she believed would only restrict imports, but not impact services or resources.

Daniel O'Dowd of the Ireland Israel Alliance said the u-turn was “due to fear of the incoming Trump Administration”.