Time for Government to act on the Occupied Territories Bill
- Use next week’s Dáil recess to pass Bill
Labour’s Duncan Smith TD today called on the Government to stop delaying the passage of the Occupied Territories Bill and take action next week during what was supposed to be a recess period for the Dáil.
Deputy Smith said:
“We have watched in horror over the past year as the Israeli government continues its illegal and violent campaign in Gaza, Lebanon, and the occupied territories. In just 12 months, more than 40,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza in what can only be described as genocidal actions. These actions must be condemned—not just in words but in deeds.
“With time running out in the current Dáil term and a General Election approaching, the Government must demonstrate its commitment to justice and international law by using next week to enact this critical legislation.
“The Government claims that there is no time left in the Dáil term to pass the Occupied Territories Bill. Yet, next week, the Dáil was scheduled to go on recess. If the Government were serious about holding Israel accountable for its crimes, they would cancel the recess and push this Bill through. The time for hand-wringing is over; now is the moment for real action.
“We in Labour have long advocated for more effective trade sanctions on Israel, similar to the international pressure that helped end apartheid in South Africa. Israel’s actions have been abundantly clear – we need concerted international pressure. We saw what happened with South Africa in the 1980s. South Africa was isolated politically, in sport, culturally, and economically, and it was only through this international solidarity that apartheid was overturned. The same must happen now with Israel. This legislation would introduce meaningful trade sanctions on Israel, which is a necessary step towards isolating a government that has repeatedly violated international law.
“With a General Election on the horizon, this Government doesn’t have long left to do the right thing. It is running out of time to pass this Bill. They must act now and show that Ireland will not turn a blind eye to the ongoing atrocities being committed in Gaza and beyond.The time to act is now. We cannot wait any longer.”