Dublin: Ireland’s parliament, on Wednesday, has passed the first reading of a bill banning the import and sale of products made in illegal Israeli settlements. The landmark legislation was moved with 25 votes in its favour and 20 against it. The bill received support from the opposition and independent lawmakers.
Lawmaker Frances Black, who wrote the bill, tweeted after the vote, “This is a first step, but an important one. Today we state strongly: Ireland will always stand for int humanitarian law, justice & human rights”.
The rest of the stages for the passing of the bill are likely to be processed soon.
However, the passage of the bill through the Seanad set off a round of condemnation from the Israeli government. A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement issued on July 11, described the Seanad’s vote as giving support to “a populist, dangerous and extremist anti-Israel boycott initiative” which would have “a negative impact on the diplomatic process in the Middle East” and would harm the livelihoods of Palestinians who work in Israeli facilities targeted by the bill.