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Former Fine Gael justice minister Alan Shatter. Rolling News

Fine Gael TD criticises Alan Shatter for comparing Occupied Territories Bill to Father Ted sketch

Former justice minister Alan Shatter said the Bill is ‘nothing more than fantasy politics and political theatre that does profound damage to the reputation of our state’.

LAST UPDATE | 15 Jul

A FINE GAEL TD has criticised former Justice Minister Alan Shatter for comparing the Occupied Territories Bill to a Father Ted sketch.

At an Oireachtas committee today, Shatter opposed the implementation of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025, which seeks to ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements.

In his opening statement, Shatter claimed that the Bill “resembles the unenforced Father Ted-like provisions applicable to the import of condoms contained in the Health Family Planning Act 1980”.

He also claimed that the Bill is the “first initiative of any European government to enact legislation to intentionally boycott and discriminate against Jews since the defeat of Nazi Germany”.

Shatter added that the Bill is “nothing more than fantasy politics and political theatre that does profound damage to the reputation of our state”.

Shatter remarked that the “total value of commercial goods imported in the five-year period 2020 to 2024 came to €685,000” and as a result, the Bill is “simply symbolic”.

He added that the Bill “demonises Israel” and is a “policy which reflects that attempted in the last century in Europe by Nazi Germany”.

Shatter also claimed that the Bill is “riddled with difficulties and anomalies”.

Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan told the Committee that he “didn’t expect to go down this route” and spoke about a trip he made to Cairo over the weekend “to meet people on the coalface”.

Brennan said he visited in a “personal capacity and paid my own way”.

He said the NGOs he met said that what is happening in Gaza is “simply on a different scale”.

He said he met with young children who are now orphans and “held the hand of a two-year-old child that had bullet wounds”.

Addressing Shatter, Brennan said: “How dare you come in here and make such statements – a Father Ted Bill?

“You speak to the people on the ground, listen to what they’ve got to say about this Bill. They knew everything about this Bill.

“I think the most important thing we should do is listen to people that matter most, people on the ground.

“They are asking us to continue to continue to take the lead.”

Shatter replied that he cannot recall the number of times he has visited Israel and the West Bank and that he has also visited Gaza “in the past”.

“This current conflict is horrible, should never have happened and on 6 October, October 2023 there was an existing ceasefire,” Shatter added.

Shatter also remarked: “I don’t think a single visit to Egypt is the be all and all in resolving the conflict, and this Bill certainly won’t resolve the conflict.”

Elsewhere, Shatter said he didn’t accept that the West Bank is illegally occupied land and that Israel “acquired that land in a defensive war” in 1967.

And when asked how he would “deter the Israeli government from continuing its genocide”, Shatter said this “depiction of what is happening is inaccurate”.

Shatter said there is “only one reason this conflict is continuing” and it’s “because Hamas continues to retain hostages”.

Committee Chair John Lahart remarked that the events of 7 October are “continuously condemned” and that the Irish government has called for the return of hostages.

However, Lahart added that the Bill is motivated by the “descent by the Israeli government and the Israeli Defence Forces into the darkest of places that certainly motivates all members of this committee”.

He also said it was “hugely hurtful and slanderous” to claim that the Bill is motivated by antisemitism.

Meanwhile, the Committee heard that a ban on trade between Ireland and illegal Israeli settlements will prompt other countries to follow suit.

Irish-Palestinian woman Fatin Al Tamimi, who is vice-chairwoman of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said Ireland passing the Bill would give Palestinians hope.

“Ireland, the world is watching. Please do your best to (do) the right thing, to pass this occupied territories Bill and give the Palestinians hope.

“When Ireland starts, everybody will follow on because it’s a legal obligation, it’s a moral obligation for all countries, including Ireland.

“It is important for Ireland to start, and then everybody will follow.”

‘Shocking’

Prior to the Committee, Shatter told Newstalk Breakfast this morning that the Bill was reminiscent of “Nazi Germany legislation”.

“The bill indicates that, with respect of the Irish Government, no Jewish person should reside or work in East Jerusalem or on the West Bank,” he said.

“This will be the first time a bill enacted by a European parliament… specifically targets Jews.

“We haven’t had that since the end of the Nazi regime in 1945.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said this use of language is “shocking because of what we’re seeing in terms of the Israeli government’s announcement overnight where we’re, essentially, looking at a concentration camp idea in Gaza”.

He added: “I think former minister Shatter should perhaps focus on that a bit more and not just completely dismiss the appalling murder and killing of innocent children and civilians in Gaza, which has shocked the world.”

Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris was also asked for his reaction to comments made by Shatter this morning.

“I’m not really sure I have one,” he told reporters.

“I’m much more concerned, rather than Alan Shatter… I’m much more concerned in stopping Israel killing children,” going on to describe Israel’s action in Gaza as “genocide”.

With reporting by Muiris Ó Cearbhaill and Emma Hickey

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