Proposals to prohibit imports from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine “should not be watered down”, according to Senator Frances Black in advance of a meeting with Tánaiste Simon Harris.
Ms Black first introduced the Occupied Territories Bill aimed at banning goods and services from the settlements back in 2018.
It was stalled by successive governments over concerns it could fall foul of EU trade rules.
However, the last coalition got fresh legal advice on the Bill after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were in breach of international law.
After the general election the new Government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independent TDs committed to progressing legislation prohibiting goods from occupied Palestinian territories.
The programme for government does not mention prohibiting services.
In recent weeks, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “virtually every section” of the Bill put forward by Ms Black would need to be amended, and suggested it would be replaced by a new piece of legislation.
Sinn Féin tabled a Dáil motion this week aimed at putting pressure on the new Government to progress the Bill and to bring in a ban on all trade, including services.
Mr Harris, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, told the Dáil that the Government’s analysis was that “substantive amendments would be required to most, if not all, of the Bill’s provisions in order to bring it in line with the Constitution and to try to reduce the risk of EU infringement procedures”.
He committed to meeting Ms Black and said the Government will work with her and others to progress legislation but also warned there are “major legal issues” and “the people of Ireland need to know that”.
Ms Black told The Irish Times that the key to any legislation is whether it will “implement a full ban on all trade with the illegal settlements? That’s the question that I’ll be asking.”
She said she will tell Mr Harris she wants a full ban on trade with the illegal settlements that includes both goods and services.
Ms Black highlighted an ICJ finding that all states must abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the occupied Palestinian territory.
She added: “I want this Bill to do what is required by us under international law as made crystal clear by the International Court of Justice.”
Conor O’Neill of Christian Aid – who helped draft the Bill - said about 70 per cent of Ireland’s trade with Israel in 2023 was services.
He said a ban that exempts services would be “a walk-back by any measure”.
Ms Black said she has received legal opinions from European and Irish lawyers and “I have no doubt that this Bill is legally sound”.
She said: “I don’t think it should be watered down and I will be fighting for it not to be watered down.”
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