Cork councillors call for Occupied Territories Bill to be passed urgently

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

Cork County Council has agreed to write to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ask them to urgently enact the Occupied Territories Bill, including the trade of both goods and services.

The decision at this week’s council meeting followed a joint motion from Social Democrats Councillors Isobel Towse and Eamonn Horgan, who argued that the bill must include services to be truly effective.

In its programme for government, the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition committed to passing a ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Activists, opposition parties and human rights groups have argued that the ban should also include services.

"Ireland has a legal obligation under the Genocide Convention to do everything we can to prevent and stop genocide, and we aren’t doing that. Yes, the government have been very strong in their rhetoric, we have recognised the state of Palestine, are sending food aid and have evacuated a few Palestinian students to come and study here, but these actions do little to actually prevent genocide,” Cllr Towse said.

“One way to do this is by helping to reduce the flow of money into Israel, money which is funding the slaughter of the Palestinian people. Passing the Occupied Territories Bill, including goods and services as it was always intended until very recently, would do this, and would have a ripple effect across Europe.”

Cllr Horgan said the Israeli settlements in the West Bank “are in contempt of the rights of the people who have lived there for generations. When we allow trade from such settlements to enter our markets, we do more than purchase products and services —we legitimise the illegitimate.”

“We turn a blind eye to the bulldozed homes, to the olive groves uprooted, to the walls that divide neighbour from neighbour. We become silent partners in occupation. This bill is a stand against policies and practices that undermine peace, security, and human dignity.”

Cllr Horgan said that if services are not included in the bill, “a major component of trade with these illegal settlements will continue to flow.”

The motion received cross-party support. Cllr Gillian Coughlan (Fianna Fáil) said the bill need to be enacted. “I think that it would put pressure and give credence to our government to work in tandem with the rest of our European neighbours to enact even further sanctions on the Israeli state. It is a blot on our history at this time. We do know what's happening. There is no excuse.”

Cllr Sinead Sheppard (Fine Gael) said: “It is time that we pass the Occupied Territories Bill in all its forms, including goods and services. What we're seeing now is absolutely atrocious. It's a genocide playing before all our eyes and we're not doing half enough what we should be doing.”

“The government has been dragging its heels so much on this. Despite widespread public and political support, the bill continues to be delayed. Passing the bill would send a clear message that trade and economic gain cannot come at the expense of justice and human dignity,” Cllr Ronan Sheehan (Labour) said.

Sinn Fein’s Cllr Eoghan Fahy said: “It is positive to see that there's resounding support again across the floor. But I think we’ve spoken for long enough, our government has spoken for long enough, we need to activate the bill.”

The Occupied Territories Bill is on the Dáil’s autumn legislation programme.