Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Protesters calling for support for Palestine in Dublin Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Opinion The government should be brave and stand on the right side of history with the Occupied Territories Bill

If Ireland is committed to peace between Israel and Palestine then we must show it and pass this legislation, writes Niall Collins.

THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN a huge interest here in Ireland in Israel and Palestine – unsurprising, given our own history of occupation – and it’s rightly a priority in Irish foreign policy. 

In June, along with my colleague Billy Kelleher, I travelled to Israel and Palestine on a fact-finding mission. As Fianna Fáil spokesperson for foreign affairs & trade, I wanted to see the region firsthand. 

It was also important preparation for legislation that is moving through the Oireachtas. The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 was tabled by Independent Senator Frances Black, and seeks to prohibit trade with settlements illegally established on territories considered occupied under international law.

While the Bill can quite rightly apply to any occupied territory in the world, much of the debate has focused on the fifty-year Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the settlements it continues to build in flagrant violation of international law.

The reality of life under occupation is difficult to witness. Having met with both Israeli and Palestinian representatives, we travelled across the West Bank. Human rights organisations described the deteriorating humanitarian situation, including limited access to water and crippling restrictions on movement. We saw how the rapidly expanding settlements were carving up the territory, seizing farming land and making daily life hugely difficult for ordinary Palestinians.

Opposition to the settlements

In February 1980, under a Fianna Fáil government, Ireland became the first European country to call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The rest of Europe soon followed. Today, the overwhelming international consensus, fully supported by Fianna Fáil, is that the conflict ought to be resolved with a peaceful two-state solution.

The building of settlements on occupied land, a war crime under international law, threatens to make this impossible. They fundamentally undermine the prospect of a viable Palestinian state, fragmenting the land on which it’s supposed to exist. They’re rightly condemned by the EU, UN and the Irish government as a major obstacle to peace, and as Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem reports, have now taken over 42% of the West Bank. At this rate, there will soon be no Palestinian state left to recognise.

If Ireland is committed to the two-state solution, then we must show it and move beyond decades of ineffective and empty condemnation. The Occupied Territories Bill recognises that while we strongly criticise the settlements as illegal, trading in the goods they produce pays for this injustice to continue.

The Bill would not ban trade in Israeli goods, only those produced in settlements built illegally beyond Israel’s borders. This distinction is crucial, emphasising that while we trade freely with Israel, we must also respect international law and cannot support settlements that are unambiguously illegal. It gives effect to longstanding EU policy and UN resolutions, which call on states “to distinguish in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.”

palestine 072_90535169 Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has opposed the Bill, stating in the Seanad that it would “undermine my capacity to be seen as someone to whom both sides can talk, even though I clearly advocate strongly for Palestinians all the time.”

Wide support

But this misses the point that opposing breaches of international law is not taking sides, it’s standing up for the basic rules that all states must follow. And however genuine these efforts to promote the Palestinian cause may be, decades of condemnation simply have not worked. Settlement construction continues, and it’s only accelerating under the current Israeli administration.

Far from undermining peace talks, the Occupied Territories Bill is a restatement that a workable peace process must be based on respect for international law. Under the Mitchell Principles, the parties to our own peace process were required to cease activity inconsistent with the achievement of peace. In Israel and Palestine, this must include the ending of violence, entering peace talks, and the cessation of illegal settlement building.

When the Bill was first tabled, several prominent Israelis wrote to all Oireachtas members urging support. Among them were former MPs, ambassadors, artists, and academics. In calling for a ban on settlement goods, they join a long list of human rights organisations, from Trócaire, Christian-Aid, Ictu and Sadaka here in Ireland, to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch globally.

In December, the Bill passed all stages in Seanad Éireann, with support from Fianna Fáil and every other opposition party in the Oireachtas. The huge level of cross-party support shows that it’s a modest, realistic initiative, and that government claims that it runs contrary to EU rules are unsustainable, given the chorus of eminent legal scholars categorically stating the opposite.

Fianna Fáil unequivocally supports the right of Israel to exist securely within internationally recognised borders. It also equally supports the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and a state of their own. In the new year, I’m proud to say that I’ll be bringing this bill to Dáil Éireann for debate. This Fine Gael government should show some courage, stand on the right side of history, and support it.

 Niall Collins TD is Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
93 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Donal O'Carroll
    Favourite Donal O'Carroll
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:40 AM

    Absolutely..Goverment do the right thing and support this Bill.

    243
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Picture This
    Favourite Picture This
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:29 AM

    @Donal O’Carroll: sure they should as for the commentary that all muslims are out to murder us and destroy our way of life, Heard similar about the Irish in the UK in the 80s. The same person has probably be treated in Hospital or his family members by one of the same, that is ignorance. Muslims are more likely to be persecuted by islamic terrorists that EU or US citizens.

    72
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute
    Favourite
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:47 AM

    The fact that a spokesman on trade is trying to commit our country to such a folly is a prime example why FF are unfit for government. Worry about our own people and remember that the people you are trying to aid are the catalyst for Twin Towers, London Underground and Barcelona attacks as well as many others. Hamas is an evil terrorist dominated organisation that has killed and maimed fellow EU citizens, continues to carry out its plan of western destruction and FF want to assist them, what a bunch of halfwits.

    435
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute McCarthy John
    Favourite McCarthy John
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:02 AM

    @: Absolute rubbish!

    116
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:06 AM

    We know Israel and Saudi Arabia have the blood of the 911 victims on their hands (Nothing to do with Hamas, which coincidentally is not in charge if the West bank which the occupied territories bill refers to). But I do love your attempt to use every lie possible to diminish the reason to support this bill. No country on this earth should buy anything from a regime that is stealing resources from an illegally occupied territory. I am sure you at least agree with that.

    159
    See 8 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colm Corcoran
    Favourite Colm Corcoran
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:42 AM

    @: surprised to see blatant racism like this get the amount of support it has. Millions of people living in an open prison over there and you’d rather do nothing because an extreme minority of them are terrorists? What about the Israeli soldiers that have killed countless unarmed children or the ones that wear t shirts with pregnant Arab women in crosshairs with the caption “one shot two kills”? Someone with your attitude 100 years ago could’ve easily said that we shouldn’t get independence because of the actions of the IRA. Passing this bill could change the lives of millions of innocent human beings but you’d rather find any excuse not to

    81
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute
    Favourite
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:03 AM

    @Cal Mooney: No I don’t agree, there is nothing in your argument that makes this bill compatible with our duties and responsibilities as EU citizens, if the EU introduces such a bill then compliance is proper but this bill gives succour to evil and does not address in any fashion the wrongs done by Israel. Our first duty is to promote and protect Irish and EU jobs and trade not trendy causes

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:10 PM

    @Colm Corcoran: Colm when the BDS movement forced the Soda Stream company to move its factory from the so called west bank, over a thousand palestinians, earning 4 times and palestinian national pay rate lost their jobs, taking their families into consideration, that thousands of palestinain families losing out, people who were happy working side by side with their Jewish co workers, out of work, so well done to the BDS, good job, pat themselves on the back. Thats the only thing this stupit, bias bill with accomplist, It won’t hurt Israel, it will hurt the poor palestinians who just want to get on with their lives and provide for their families like everyone else. What will change lives is if the UN, EU and US stop the money going into the pockets of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, they are pocketing it and making themselves rich on the money given to the people for better schools, hospitals and infrastructure. Gaza should be the Paris of the middle east now with the amount of money pumped into it, but the terrorists running it won’t allow this. When Israel pulled out of it in 2005 all they got in return was mortars, rockets and suicide bombers, if my neighbour was doing this to me, throwing granades over my wall to murder my family, I wouldn’t care less what I had to do to protect my family, and nither would you, so why should Israel be any different.

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Higgins
    Favourite Niall Higgins
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:18 PM

    @Colm Corcoran: Extreme minority?! 88% have positive or mixed feelings about Bin Laden?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sharon Fernandes
    Favourite Sharon Fernandes
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:22 PM

    Are you attending training to be ignorant? You’re doing pretty well.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute KalEll
    Favourite KalEll
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:00 PM

    @Paul McDonald: Your argument seems to be that non-violent opposition to the occupation is bad because of previous violent occupation. I’d say you care as much about Palestinian jobs as you do about Palestinian lives. You see BDS as a threat to Israel’s occupation.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tracktrack
    Favourite Tracktrack
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:11 AM

    Many completely agree. We should be supporting Israel and this bill should be in the bin where it belongs. This is another one of the reasons that FF are not going to get back into government, they are completely out of touch with their traditional support base.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 2:16 PM

    @KalEll: I see collective punishment as a threat to everyone, and thats all BDS is, the guy who came up with the idea is a palestinian living inIsrael attending the Israeli University, a hypocrite of the highest order. Look at palestinian shops in Gaza and the West Bank, full of Israeli produce. The palestinians don’t want BDS and most who cry loudly for it are hypocrites also, as they have never been to Israel not do they know anything about the conflict or the peoples involved. I have. Willingly ignorant Jew haters is all, in my opinion.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Murphy
    Favourite Seamus Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:30 AM

    If Israel gives back the West Bank it will end up just like Gaza. The Palestinians have been offered deals, land , settlements etc on several occasions in the past but they’ve said no every time. When are people going to wake up and realise their only ambition is the complete destruction of Israel?

    180
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:29 PM

    @Seamus Murphy: Don’t worry about it. Once Israel releases the West Bank and stops blocking Palestinian statehood, it will no longer be any concern of Israel. But thanks for your concern for the Palestinians. Most welcomed. I hope you show the same level of concern every time an Israeli soldier or illegal settler attack and murder Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adeel McDangerson
    Favourite Adeel McDangerson
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:16 PM

    @Seamus Murphy: please provide one of these deals with sources cited. Its like a robber coming in your house and stealing everything, and than being baffled that you wouldn’t be ok with 5% of your stuff back….
    What a disingenuous argument buddy

    30
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Murphy
    Favourite Seamus Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 6:03 PM

    @Cal Mooney: you obviously can’t read very well. Read my comment again and ask your mammy to help you with a reply.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Murphy
    Favourite Seamus Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 6:17 PM

    @Adeel McDangerson: how is it comparable to a robber? The West Bank, or Judea and Samaria to call it it’s correct name has been occupied by Jews for millennia. Arabs only started to call themselves Palestinians in the 60s. Please, name one Palestinian leader or group pre 1964.

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 6:58 PM

    @Seamus Murphy: Funny, there are centuries of reference to it being called Palestine going back to the Roman times. You must have a very limited reading range.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tracktrack
    Favourite Tracktrack
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:22 AM

    @Seamus Murphy: Exactly. Israel should not conceed one inch. The Palestinians will never accept nor live peacefully beside Israel. As they said many times themselves over the decades, “they will throw the Jews into the sea”. Israel is our real friend and ally and we should not be blinded by incorrect Irish historical comparisons.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Murphy
    Favourite Seamus Murphy
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:35 PM

    @Cal Mooney: That just means I understood it properly and you didn’t. Read again why Hadrian changed the name from Israel to palestinia.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mulligan
    Favourite John Mulligan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:44 AM

    He’s right. We should send a lot more aid to Hammas than we’re already doing. They need it to spend on rockets and on maintaining the bling-bling lifestyle of the leaders abroad.
    The more farmers they kill in Israel, and the more crops they destroy, the better chance they have of gaining respect internationally.
    It worked for the provos, didn’t it? Their fuel launderers became ‘good republicans’ overnight, and every cent donated by gullible Americans went straight to the Irish unity cause.
    What could go wrong?

    211
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Harris
    Favourite Tony Harris
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:14 AM

    @John Mulligan: It wasnt the wish for Irish unity that lit the flame up north and you know it. An oppressed people no matter where they are will bite back, whichever way they can.

    79
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Smith
    Favourite Paul Smith
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:31 AM

    @Tony Harris: 99 percent of the people of NI didn’t turn to violence. The majority of Nationalists in the north didn’t support the IRA . Oppression or discrimination is not an excuse to kill people .

    79
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Harris
    Favourite Tony Harris
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:55 AM

    @Paul Smith: And 99% of Palistinians did turn to violence? They all support Hamas? Im not seeing your point!

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cormac Ó Braonáin
    Favourite Cormac Ó Braonáin
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:21 PM

    @Tony Harris: 99% of Palestinians support Hamas? What kind of numpty statement is that? They don’t even operate in the West Bank, the place where the bill focuses on.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Harris
    Favourite Tony Harris
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:43 PM

    @Cormac Ó Braonáin: point one is my referance to Hamas was not a statement but a question, point two is my reference to Hamas was in reply to the original comment. Try linking the thread, tool.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan public
    Favourite Dan public
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:03 AM

    Is this some type of joke, ireland anf FF looking to talk anout occupied Countries , so lets talk abou iraq, afganistan libya all destroyed by good old USA saving the people from dictators. They saved the people of libya and took away all the bad things like their gold and oil, goldman sachs were there to assist everytine. So then we have Surherland (ex goldman) running around with Covney (of the horse meat family scandal swept under the stable) both fimed at the Builderberg meeting. And you honestly expect us to swallow this manure. We let war planes refuel everdqy at shannon to fly on and create carnage around the globe. Mr Collins stick to writing references for prisioners instead gettting a free run to write a publicity piece for FF complements of the goverment sponsered journal

    158
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ray Murphy
    Favourite Ray Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:27 AM

    @Dan public: I disagree with your argument that the crimes of the US excuse the crimes of the Israeli state against the Palestinians.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan public
    Favourite Dan public
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 12:40 PM

    @Ray Murphy: Israel is sponsored by the USA, take away the cash and lets see how long they would last

    23
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Shortt
    Favourite Kieran Shortt
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:05 PM

    @Dan public: And syria / assad are supported by russia. Russia armed all their neighbours to the teeth before america started supporting israel

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute An_Fear_Liath
    Favourite An_Fear_Liath
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:11 AM

    Deputy did you go to Tibet, Wester Sahara, Irian Jaya and North Cyprus to see the occupations there? Or is it only when Israel is perceived to be occupying is it a problem?

    122
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adeel McDangerson
    Favourite Adeel McDangerson
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:17 PM

    @An_Fear_Liath: those are problems too. But would you recognise that Israeli occupation is a problem also?

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ☘
    Favourite ☘
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:04 AM

    what’s the chances when they wont-stand with their own occupied territory for the last 100years

    90
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Euro is Dead
    Favourite Euro is Dead
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:02 AM

    Straight question. Who paid for the fact finding mission.?

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dietrich Död
    Favourite Dietrich Död
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:21 AM

    @Euro is Dead: it would have been paid for by Fianna Fáil.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Euro is Dead
    Favourite Euro is Dead
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:28 AM

    @Dietrich Död: I am sure Niall is reading these comments. I was interested in who actually paid for it. Not who probably paid for it.

    40
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:56 PM

    @Euro is Dead: I am sure FFs Stephen Kearon will be along shortly to condemn FF for supporting the Palestinians, just like he condemned Mary Lou McDonald 3 weeks ago for exactly the same thing.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willy Mc Caul
    Favourite Willy Mc Caul
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:45 AM

    FFG brave :-)
    Massive chuckle :-)

    60
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Byrne
    Favourite John Byrne
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 12:37 PM

    The PLO were formed in 1964 two years before England won the world cup the brainchild of Moscow & the training in romania under nicolae caeususcu saw the birth of the new citizens whos ties to violence is witnessed daily from the years that Leila Khalled was blowing up planes to their new protégé Who gets world media coverage slapping an Israeli soldier all staged for their convenience to keep them active.arafat died a multi millionaire in Paris just like Abbas will as will Irish politicians concerned with the middle east while the wheels fall of the wagon at home.Coveney is only concerned about trade figures while the figures that Vradaker is concerned about will flood our country with the same peaceful people you have witnessed to date and are now terrorising parts of Dublin at will because they are now allegedly as Irish as the rest of us & can’t be deported. This is part & parcel of their agenda in the middle east & in the West.
    Francis Black is just a mouthpiece for sf who’s trapped in its own shopping history. the one & only tie ireland has to the Arabs. They had weapons
    We bought them.
    Irish Republican men & women fought for independence
    The PLO are a proxy army of Iran in gaza just like hezbollah in Lebanon.
    All overlooked by the Irish government who touts peace while they describe a 30 yrs. War in ireland as “troubles”.
    Take the time get the history of the middle east not the rhetoric.

    71
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:59 PM

    @John Byrne: Hamas were created by Israel, so using your logic, we should ban everything from Israel.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damon16
    Favourite Damon16
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:21 PM

    @Cal Mooney: Let’d dispel this Israel created Hamas myth. It is true that for a time the Israeli government in the 70′s financially supported a branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood operating in the Gaza strip – this group was non-violent, apolitical and mainly involved in charitable activities in Gaza. They may have seen it as a non-violent counterbalance to the PLO which at the time was coordinating terror attacks, plane hijacking, kidnapping and assassinations against Israel from their base in Lebanon. Hamas emerged out of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip much later in the 90′s – at a time when militant political Islamism was gaining strength all over the Muslim world.

    37
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:32 PM

    @Cal Mooney: OMG what rubbish.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:34 PM

    @Damon16: Righhht, so Israel admits setting up and funding an opposition aligned to the Muslim Brotherhood that then renamed itself Hamas, but that has no link to the Israeli government. Got ya, makes perfect sense… NOT!!!

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry Shaw
    Favourite Barry Shaw
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:11 PM

    I was utterly dismayed by Niall Collins article. It was totally one-sided and devoid of any balance to a very complex situation in the Middle East,
    Did Mr. Collins meet with any Israel government ministers during his jaunt through the West Bank (known correctly here as Judea & Samaria)? I think not.
    So much for a balanced attempt at solving the Palestinian problem.
    Nowhere in his piece did he inform the reader that, according to the Oslo Accords, the disputed territory is divided between Areas A,B, and C with Area C being under full Israeli civil and security administration until any permanent peace agreement with the Palestinians and where any new Jewish housing is being built.
    As the Palestinians reject the notion of negotiating anything with the Jewish State of Israel, peace is a long way off. Actually, this is something the Fatah-led PA share with their other enemy, Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
    When they are not threatening Israel with terror and delegitimization attempts, they are running scared of Hamas taking over their control in Areas A and B.
    Mr. Collins can write about a “chorus of eminent legal scholars” to make his case, but I have my list of equally eminent international legal scholars to counter his arguments.
    As for stealing other people’s land, allow me to make two observations.
    Be careful when you talk about Palestinian territory. This raises the question when did any land become “Palestinian territory.”?
    It was Palestinian territory for the period it was, in fact, a dusty barren district of the Ottoman Empire. Then, with the unanimous decision of the global body, the League of Nations part of that Palestine was designated to be the national home of the Jewish People, later to become Israel.
    Point 2. Hebron hs been a Jewish town for over 300 year. It is where the Jewish prophet Abraham bought a plot of land that was to be the burial place of the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs. And yet, Mr. Collins considers this holy Jewish town to be Judenrein – must be Jew-free, given over to the Palestinians.
    So, who is stealing whose land, Mr. Collins?
    Israel has always stretched out its hand in peace. It has made territorial concessions in the name of peace with both Egypt and Jordan, but decades of violent rejectionism has prevented and frustrated Israel in reaching a settlement with the divided Palestinian political body which, when it is not at war with Israel, is at civil; war between themselves.
    Mr. Collins writes that achieving peace depends on a two-state solution. Fine, but what when Hamas usurps power in Judea & Samaria or in any territory surrendered by Israel for the sake of peace? What then. when this Islamic terror organisation turns Palestine in the West Bank into another Hamastan and begins attacking Israel from the highground to the east of Israel’s exposed and slim coastal plain. What then?
    I know what Niall Collins will say when Palestinian RPGs are showering down on Ben Gurion Airport and Hamas rockets are hitting Tel Aviv, Netanya, and Haifa. He will wash his hands of any responsibility and bleat about “it’s up to the parties to solve their differences.”
    This is the lame excuse I hear from diplomats too often here in Israel. They, like Collins, propose a solution that is no solution at all, and then blame Israel for the failure while absolving the broken, undemocratic, Palestinian political divide of any blame for lack of progress and antisemitic violence. Notice the terms “terrorism,” “radical Islam,” “Palestinian rejectionism” didn’t appear at all in his anti-Israel screed.
    It is as if these issues are of no concern to Israelis. It is as if they have no relevance to the situation on the ground. It is only Jews building homes that disturbs him.
    Not good enough, Mr. Collins!

    Barry Shaw,
    Senior Associate for Public Diplomacy,
    Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.

    68
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:43 PM

    @Barry Shaw: The PLO have not attacked Israel in decades. They manage Palestinian affairs in the West Bank. The Bill Mr Collins is supporting deals with the West Bank. All you have done here is talk about Hamas which operates in the besieged Gaza strip. Hamas were set up and funded by the Israeli government in order to have a more extremist opposition to the occupation and therefore an excuse not to deal with the stealing of Palestinian land in the West bank. Can I ask you a genuine question, do you have a link to the map of Israel with clearly delineated borders and with birders that Israel agrees should be it’s final borders?

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Clifford Brennan
    Favourite Clifford Brennan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:49 PM

    @Barry Shaw: Excellent comment. Well said.

    30
    See 7 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute An_Fear_Liath
    Favourite An_Fear_Liath
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:15 PM

    @Cal Mooney: No Hamas were not “set up” by Israel. You have posted this at least twice. Telling a lie more than once doesn’t make it true.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:16 PM

    @Barry Shaw: Well said Barry. The Jews have lived in Judea and Samaria for the last 3000 years, all the Jewish prophets, Kings and Jesus the Jewish messiah was born in Bethlehem, Israel. No such place as Palestine until emperor hadrian renamed Israel Syria Palaestina after the bar kochba rebellion in 136 AD. Even up until the 1940 it was the Jews who were called Palestinians by the arabs as they didn’t want to be palestinians. It was Arafat and the the PLO who started calling themselves palestinian, even though Arafat was an Egyptian. The biggest enemies of the palestinian people is their leadership, living under terrorist hamas and the PA which are both made up of PLO terrorists, in their government and police, the torture and murder their own people, restrict free speech, elections and religion of minorities and they pocket all the hundreds of millions of dollors and euros given to them to better the lives of their own people. They are murderers and thiefs and liars and the world has been duped by them, mainly because, they won’t look into the history of the region or go there themselves to see the facts on the ground. I have, and to the most part they live better then me. You will get poor everywhere, are the Israelis to blame for the Irish homeless, poverty, banks, builders and government corruption and austerity we have had for the past 10 years? NO Fianna FAIL are. He should be looking after his own and fixing the mess his party made in Ireland and not be worrying about the palestinians. They make their own mess, not the Israelis.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:41 PM

    @Paul McDonald: So, do you have a map of Israel that shows the very maximum of its territory (like a normal country) or are you one of these religious nut jobs who believe Israel should be defined by some inbred numpty from 3,000 years ago and that this numptys idea of Israel encompasses all of Palestine, large parts of Syria, parts if Jordan and feck knows what else?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:19 PM

    @Cal Mooney: Fact remains, land belongs to the Jews, arabs usurped it with Islams spread with the sword. Jews have always lived in their own land. The history books say so, just as they say the irish have always lived in Ireland, and no liar arab is gonna tell me any different. Just because the UK are running the north doesn’t mean they own it. Same way, the arabs don’t own Israel, the Jews do. It even says it in their own Koran, if you want to take the “religious” route.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:22 PM

    @Paul McDonald: ok, I don’t believe in some bearded guy living in the sky who in the days of old encouraged slave ownership, incest, Paedophilia etc. I only asked is there a map of Israel anywhere that shows fixed borders or do you believe the borders should be expanded through force until your country borders reach where your imaginary god told some nut job thousands of years ago. The Koran, new bible and old bible quotes the same imaginary crazy blood thirsty god. But if we all lived by that imaginary gods word today, we would still be sleeping in our own filth.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tracktrack
    Favourite Tracktrack
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:32 AM

    @Barry Shaw: A true and accurate description of the reality of life in this region. Well written. Thank you.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McDonald
    Favourite Paul McDonald
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 2:33 PM

    @Cal Mooney: Ok I’ll bite. That imaginary God promised the Jews he would bring those he scattered 2000 years ago to other nations, back to their own land, that same imaginary God promised to istablish them in that land and they would never be uprouted again out of it. That imaginary God told them that he would create the nation again in one day, that day was May 14th 1948, no arab army has ever been able to defeat them, although their war of independence with only 85,000 very sparcly armed untrained civilians, whom the british dearmed while arming the arabs, beat off 4 well trained, well armed armies from 4 arab nations. That very same imaginary God has promised to come back and bring all nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There he will put them on trial for what they did to his inheritance, his people Israel, because they scattered his people among the nations and divided up his land. If he kept the first set of promises, I’m pretty sure he’ll keep this one too, so best of luck on that day Cal, your gonna need it.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute FlopFlipU
    Favourite FlopFlipU
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:06 AM

    America won’t like our stance if it threatens their friends who are their eyes on that side of the world

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Mansfield
    Favourite Chris Mansfield
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:27 AM

    When I first heard about the Occupied Territories Bill, I was quite supportive, but then looking at it I’m not so sure.

    There are all sorts of places around the world that are occupied – Tibet, Crimea, Western Sahara, Irian Jaya, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Palestine.

    The bill dresses itself up as dealing with all, but then has such a narrow definition of occupied that it only impacts the relationship between Israel and Palestine (the only other candidate that has ever fitted the criteria is South Africa and Namibia, but that was resolved 25 years ago).

    So, while I’m supportive of the potential for the bill in the context of Israel/Palestine, I couldn’t bring myself to support something that is clearly specifically targeted and of little broad. And as bad as the situation in Palestine has been, in terms of civilian casualties among the native population or them becoming a minority in their own territory, it’s not even in the same ballpark as Irian Jaya.

    Fix the billl and it may become supportable.

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gavan Duffy
    Favourite Gavan Duffy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:05 PM

    @Chris Mansfield: This is an old argument, why is Israel singled out when there are far worse perpetrators in the world? The fact is Israel singles itself out by claiming to be a liberal western style democracy, but then complains when it’s human rights record is compared to actual democracies and not the dictatorships listed. If Israel wants to treated as a democracy it needs to start behaving like one, a good begInning would be equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion or ethnic background.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Mansfield
    Favourite Chris Mansfield
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:41 PM

    @Gavan Duffy: That may be true of the image that Israel presents, but it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever in terms of what law Ireland should put in place. If another country has occupied a territory and is mistreating the original inhabitants, it shouldn’t matter the form of Government that they have in place.

    The corollary of what you are saying is that if there was a military coup in Israel and it declared itself to be a dictatorship that this legislation wouldn’y apply.

    BTW Indonesia has been a functioning democracy for 20 years and they are possibly the worst offenders on the list.

    21
    See 6 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:58 PM

    @Chris Mansfield: Chris, we already ban the purchase of goods from Crimea. So I think we would be entirely hypocritical not to do the same in the Palestinian occupied territories.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Mansfield
    Favourite Chris Mansfield
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:05 PM

    @Cal Mooney: That’s a fair point, although the ban is at EU level. It also shows the danger of taking an ad hoc approach though. We end up with bans based on whether Governments get on rather than the bahaviour involved. My preference would be for an EU-wide law hitting all of the examples I listed. Failing that, an Irish law doing the same.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gavan Duffy
    Favourite Gavan Duffy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:02 PM

    @Chris Mansfield: I am not quite sure where you are coming from with your post Chris, or how you came to that understanding from reading mine, I never said the system of government of an occupier should matter, right is right and wrong is wrong, all the whataboutery in the world will never change that, or the suggestion that we should ignore abuses because there are worse offenders around. If that was the case, every guilty person in the world could walk away by simply pointing a finger. My point is that Israel and its supporters constantly harp on about being’ the only democracy in the Middle East ‘, as if this should excuse their human rights abuses and outright war crimes, and then behaving every bit as badly as some of the countries you listed.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Higgins
    Favourite Niall Higgins
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:26 PM

    @Gavan Duffy: There is equal rights for Palestinians, they can sit in the Knesset, become judges, etc.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:15 PM

    @Niall Higgins: ok, so explain why people not born in Israel but are Jewish are allowed to move there, but Palestinians born there who were forced out during the Hakba are not allowed to return. Doesn’t seem very equal to me.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gavan Duffy
    Favourite Gavan Duffy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:59 PM

    @Niall Higgins: Israeli citizenship is broken into ‘nationality’ groups, Jewish and Arab, there are over seventy laws and counting that apply only to Arab citizens of Israel, equal means equal, not almost or nearly or just about, Arab citizens are not equal to Jewish citizens.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe
    Favourite Joe
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:16 AM

    Dear @IsraeliPM In 2016 Ireland exported $2 Billion worth of goods to Israel, Ireland imported $83 Million from Israel. Please BDS Ireland. We are in dire straights in this country in every sector. When thousands of Irish and Palestinian jobs are lost, the revolution will begin.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:01 PM

    @Joe: Yehhh… not one of those export references are true. So your argument is like your account on here.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian
    Favourite Adrian
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:52 AM

    Haha. FF’s very much non existant front bench!

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Laura Farrell
    Favourite Laura Farrell
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:25 PM

    “Under the Mitchell Principles, the parties to our own peace process were required to cease activity inconsistent with the achievement of peace. In Israel and Palestine, this must include the ending of violence, entering peace talks, and the cessation of illegal settlement building.”

    Whatever about settlement activity, I don’t see any sign of Palestinian authority doing much to deter violence against Israelis, so why should this only apply to Israeli settlers? (Not that I think they are correct, but there seems only to need to be pressure on one side, according to Niall and his ilk).

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:47 PM

    @Laura Farrell: How many attacks or Israeli citizens have been murdered by uniformed Police or soldiers belonging to the Palestinian authority in the last few years. How many were murdered by lone wolf Palestinians who just lost all hope. Now how many Palestinians died at the hands of Israeli soldiers or settlers in the same time period? How many new illegal homes were built by the Israeli settlers in the same time period. If we don’t compare like for like and justify the responses accordingly, then we don’t get to the real root cause of why there is no peace process.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pragmatist2018
    Favourite Pragmatist2018
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 7:34 AM

    @Laura Farrell: Most of the violence against Israelis is against settlers. I would point out its very much both ways but the vast majority of the deaths are Palestinian Arabs. It dwarfs anything the British did in Northern Ireland since partition.

    1
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Favourite Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Report
    Jan 8th 2019, 11:37 PM

    @Cal Mooney: When Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian Authority encourages his own people to go and attack Jews Israelis and then offers to pay the prisoner or his family a weekly payment for doing their Patriotic duty. Is he fit to govern? (Hes now in the 15th year of a 4 year term. (Last election held in 2004) Is he fit to lead?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute An_Fear_Liath
    Favourite An_Fear_Liath
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:17 PM

    Cal Mooney. Israel did not “set up” Hamas. That is a lie often told but still does not make it true.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ray Murphy
    Favourite Ray Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:33 AM

    Couldn’t agree more, really hope this bill passes. It is high time for Israel’s illegal occupation to end and for both the Palestinians and the Israelis to each have their own secure states.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hans Vos
    Favourite Hans Vos
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 12:23 PM

    @Ray Murphy: Of course the Palestinians and Israel have the right to have each their secure states. They only have to agree to keep each other secure.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Virgil
    Favourite Virgil
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:36 PM

    Ireland has a long history of anti-semitism and this is just another example of it. Why doesn’t Collins complain about Saudi Arabia or China or any of the other appalling countries? It’s always Israel. Why is that?

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Adam
    Favourite Frank Adam
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 4:33 PM

    It is easy enough to give the “Pals” an easy catch but the brutes repeatedly refuse to take it! The romantics of violence could have had a state in 1937 Peel, 1947 UN 181, 1949 – 67 No Israel in the PA territories, 1967 Israeli offer to return to the Green Line for a peace treaty,1977 Sadat autonomy scheme, 2006 or 7 Olmert offer…..The noble Senator is “Blaming Lloyd George for the Irish Civil War,” and should remember that by accepting The Treaty Ireland came into being but by refusing it Dev’s lot only caused grief. The Pals have their civil war on and off since 1937 – and no Free State – but it is NOT Israel’s fault but the PLO’s.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 7:10 PM

    @Frank Adam: Yeah, all those children shot by the Israeli army died because of the PLO. All 700 children under the age of 12 currently in Israeli military prisons are the real source of the problem. The Palestinians shouldn’t have built town’s and cities over the last 2,000 years on land that the Israelis wanted (even though they left the land vacant for 2 millenia) it’s all the PLOs fault. Not being able to get building permits is all the PLOs fault. 80 percent of Palestinians living in the West Bank not being allowed to visit the beach 25 kms away is all PLOs fault. The Israeli military regime is sick. The whole world knows it.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Guy
    Favourite David Guy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:47 PM

    History will judge Ireland as wrong in attempting to force a violent Palestinian State on Israel but will it demand Ireland take responsibility when the Palestinian state inevitably collapses into war and corruption?

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Guy
    Favourite David Guy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:39 PM

    “conflict ought to be resolved with a peaceful two-state solution”

    What part of “Palestine – from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, from its north to its south – is our land, our right, and our homeland. There will be no relinquishing or forsaking even an inch or small part of it,” (HAMAS) will be peaceful?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cal Mooney
    Favourite Cal Mooney
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:48 PM

    @David Guy: This article is about the West Bank where Hamas is not in power. Can I assume that you therefore support blocking imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Guy
    Favourite David Guy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:42 PM

    @Cal Mooney: Mahmud Abbas insists that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian State. Also Hamas has major presence in the West Bank. Some analysts say that the only reason they are not in power on the West Bank is that Israel tacitly keeps Abbas in power. When and if Israel is suicidal enough to pay attention to Ireland many (including this writer) predict a civil war that Hamas will win as they did in Gaza.

    I quoted Hamas because they are honest, open and consistent in saying that should a Palestinian State be created they will take the opportunity to make war. However Fateh, currently in power, is no less committed to war should the opportunity become available. Goals expressed in their constitution are:

    Article (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.

    Abbas is Chairman of Fateh and has never objected to the Constitution. How peaceful will that be?

    9
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tracktrack
    Favourite Tracktrack
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:43 AM

    @David Guy: well said. Cal Mooney and his 10 supporters have gone very quiet. Says it all….

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pragmatist2018
    Favourite Pragmatist2018
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 7:17 AM

    @David Guy: In 2006 before the blockade was imposed, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh did talk about a two state solution, I believe the blockade was an attempt by the Israeli and US rightwing to close down a political solution.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Favourite Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Report
    Jan 8th 2019, 11:14 PM

    BTW After 1948 Jordan “occupied” the West Bank called that by the Jordanians until recaptured by the Israels in 1967 known to the Jews since Biblical times as Judea & Samaria (Jesus was a Judean Jew). It never was occupied by a people known as Palestinians, they lived as Jordanian Arabs until the PLO was created in 1964

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Favourite Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Report
    Jan 8th 2019, 11:51 PM

    Interestingly in the Journal.ie poll on whether we should boycott Israel Settlement goods 57% say NO to Boycott, 36% say YES to Boycott, so perhaps Irish Politicians should re-evaluate the Bill and move to different tactics like bringing the sides together rather than been divisive. Have sympathy for the Palestinians if you wish but do not support their methods

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas Sheridan
    Favourite Thomas Sheridan
    Report
    Jan 4th 2019, 11:00 PM

    Regarding the restrictions on Palestinians movements – it is important to remember that this only came about after Palestinians started to spontaneously explode in Israeli shops & restaurants.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pragmatist2018
    Favourite Pragmatist2018
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 7:15 AM

    There hasnt been a political process for around 17 yrs unless you include photo-ops and even those are scarce these days. So when Israels supporters say Palestinians have rejected offers in the past, they would do well to remember you can’t accept an offer in the past-tence, and also that during previous negotiations, Israel used them as cover to expand settlements. We have our own experience with these during the Plantations of the 1600s when British settlers were planted on lands taken from Catholics. So we cant betray our history by supporting Israeli colonisation and expulsion. There also needs to be an EU travel ban on extremist settlers engaged in violence against Palestinians. This was proposed some years ago but Germany blocked it.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Murphy
    Favourite Seamus Murphy
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:44 PM

    @Pragmatist2018: So what you’re saying is that no matter how many times the Palestinians say no Israel should continue to bend over backwards to appease them?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pragmatist2018
    Favourite Pragmatist2018
    Report
    Jan 4th 2019, 1:53 AM

    @Seamus Murphy: Israel hasnt offered an inch of land to the Palestinians in many years. In contrast it has continued to take land for settlements.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian-P
    Favourite Ian-P
    Report
    Jan 6th 2019, 8:24 PM

    Amazing to see the posts in support of the brutal Israeli occupation regime. We watched in full HD on our news channels footage of Israeli snipers shooting hundreds of unarmed civilians, hundreds of yards from the fence. Children, medics, reporters.
    Almost every country in the world have voted against, and condemned the land theft, child imprisonment and torture without charge, apartheid laws etc… And the illegal settlements.
    Every human rights body in the world have condemned the violent oppression, extrajudicial killings, military courts for Palestinians =(99% conviction rate) Civil court for Israelis, settler violence impunity and .. the illegal settlements.
    The settlements are illegal under international law. That is reason enough for Ireland to make buying of products from them……. Illegal.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Watson
    Favourite Brian Watson
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 4:54 PM

    The West Bank, which this law will apply to, is not run by Hamas. It is actually the birthplace of Christianity too. Palestinians have had nothing to do with any terrorism in Europe.
    Zionists try to hide their crimes behind these lies. It is hard to see how conspiring with war crimes will make the world a more peaceful place. Respect for international law and human rights will do that. Israel is flagrantly ignoring both.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Favourite Kilkenny Friends of Israel
    Report
    Jan 8th 2019, 11:24 PM

    @Brian Watson: Sorry Brian palestinian terrorists have been responsible for multiple airport attacks in Europe in the 70s (deaths of 34 people in Rome while three people killed and 55 wounded at Athens airport.in 1973) One passenger dead 11injured in Munich 1970 and then the Munich1972 Olympics. Also several plane hijackings from european locations to mention just a few

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michelle Moshelian
    Favourite Michelle Moshelian
    Report
    Jul 17th 2019, 4:28 PM

    Niall let his antisemitism slip through with his comments about the jewish lobby in america. Classic antisemitic trope about Jewish control conspiracy …..’

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds