Unanimous support at Health Forum for calls to boycott Israeli produced pharmaceuticals

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Following a motion from Cllr Declan Bree, the Regional Health Forum West and North West has called on the HSE to boycott pharmaceuticals produced by an Israeli company, where viable alternatives exist.

Teva Pharmaceutical Ltd, which specializes in generic drugs, is Israel’s biggest pharmaceutical company and is the leading supplier of prescription drugs in the Irish market.

Proposing that the HSE replace medicines that are currently supplied by Teva, Cllr Declan Bree said, “For over two years, Ireland and the world has watched an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe unfold in Gaza and the West Bank – a relentless campaign by the Israeli regime that has shattered the lives of millions of Palestinians.

“The scale of the destruction is staggering. More than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza alone, with over 171,000 others injured. Indeed many authorities are of the view that the actual death toll may be far higher, with 70% of verified fatalities being women and children. This is not just a war; it is genocide and a systematic erasure of a people.

“Beyond the indiscriminate bombardment, the tools of this war have included the calculated deprivation of food, water, and medicine. The UN has reported that at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, have died from starvation due to the deliberate blocking of humanitarian aid – a clear war crime.

“The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take immediate measures to prevent genocide and allow unimpeded aid access. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for crimes against humanity.

“In the West Bank, the violence of illegal occupation continues to escalate day after day, with record land seizures and settler attacks displacing thousands of families in just the first eight weeks of this year.

Cllr Bree pointed to the example of the boycott of products from South Africa as an example of the role boycotting can play.

“While we might feel helpless at times there are concrete actions we in Ireland can take to make an impact. Just like Ireland’s role in the fall of Apartheid South Africa, we know from history that boycotting works.

Cllr Bree explained that Teva Pharmaceuticals is the largest company in Israel and generates millions of euro every year for the Israeli regime adding that the Israeli’s then use much of this money to fund their ongoing genocide of Palestinians.

“Teva Pharmaceuticals has consistently demonstrated active support for the Israeli military in its campaign of genocide. Teva has participated in the "Adopt-a-Battalion" program, a scheme which fosters relationships between the Israeli military and its supporters through financial donations and engagement activities.

“Very recently over 50 consultants at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) demanded that the state not give medication manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals, where viable alternatives are available. In this context peace loving people in Ireland, in the EU and worldwide are calling for a focused, strategic boycott of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Pressure is now increasing on health services and public pharmacies to replace Teva products with alternatives.”

Councillor Bree’s motion was unanimously adapted by the Forum.

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.