Ireland stands to be recognized as a guiding light in challenging periods if the Occupied Territories Bill is approved
Ireland Takes a Stand Against Israel's Actions: The Occupied Territories Bill
A significant shift in global perception and action is underway, as politicians and media outlets worldwide re-evaluate their stance on Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This reversal challenges the previous justification for Israel's actions, particularly regarding potential war crimes.
In Ireland, the Government has expressed empathy and solidarity towards the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the current stance reversal is evident in the progress of the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB). As of mid-2025, the Irish Cabinet has approved drafting legislation to ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories, but notably not services.
The bill, currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, aims to enforce Ireland's international legal obligations concerning trade with illegal Israeli settlements. It targets only those territories with a clear international consensus on occupation status, with the occupied Palestinian territories being the primary focus.
However, the 2025 version of the bill explicitly excludes services from the ban, a decision that critics argue seriously weakens the bill's impact. About 70% of Ireland’s trade with Israel involves services, including controversial services such as Airbnb Ireland’s operations in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Al-Haq welcome the bill’s progress but urge Ireland to strengthen it by including services and investments to fully comply with international law, particularly following the 2024 ICJ advisory opinion on Israel's occupation. They emphasize the urgent need for Ireland to act unilaterally or with like-minded states to uphold international justice where the EU has failed to respond effectively.
The foreign and trade committee in Ireland has recommended that the OTB should be passed, but it should include trade in services. The bill, if passed, could be an important, though incomplete, step by Ireland to support Palestinian rights and enforce international legal standards against Israeli settlements.
This shift in stance is not only local. Politicians and media outlets worldwide are re-evaluating their previous justification of Israel's actions as self-defense. The previous pattern of obfuscation and approval for Israel's actions is being questioned, suggesting a global shift in the perception of Israel's actions.
The Irish Government needs to back up its words with action regarding the Palestinian situation. The progress of the OTB is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to ensure full compliance with international law and to support the rights of the Palestinian people.
- The global re-evaluation of Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is also evident in politics and general news, as politicians and media outlets worldwide question the previous justification of Israel's actions as self-defense.
- In line with this global shift, human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Al-Haq are urging Ireland to strengthen its Occupied Territories Bill by including trade in services and investments, as they believe this is necessary for Ireland to fully comply with international law and support the rights of the Palestinian people.
