Labour TD Duncan Smith has accused the government parties of breaking their promises on the Occupied Territories Bill.
The Dublin Fingal East TD, who was recently named as Labour’s party whip and spokesperson on foreign affairs, said that the government “cannot continue to kick this can down the road.”
The Occupied Territories Bill would compel Ireland to ban trade with Israel; the bill was first proposed in 2018 but has come into sharper focus following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023 and the subsequent invasion of Lebanon in 2024.
Smith has now taken Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to task after both parties pledged to pass the Occupied Territories Bill during the general election campaign, only to seemingly backtrack on it.
This week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated that the issue is “not a priority” for the government at present.
Fianna Fáil’s election manifesto said it would “ban imports from the occupied Palestinian territories following the July 2024 International Court judgment, by making necessary and significant amendments to the Occupied Territories Bill (2018) so that it will withstand any future legal challenges.”
Fine Gael’s manifesto stated they would bring in legislation” to prohibit trade in goods from Occupied Palestinian Territories and we will also continue to advocate for a review of the EU Trade Agreement.”
“We hear support for the Occupied Territories Bill from people all over the country. 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,” Smith said.
The Labour TD drew parallels between the pressure campaign on apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s and the current pressure on the Israeli government.
“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 Bill is about real action—banning the sale of settler goods in Ireland and sending a clear message that we do not profit from the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians.”
“This is about sending a message to the people of Palestine. A message that Ireland sees their suffering, Ireland stands with them, and Ireland will not turn a blind eye,” he said.
“The government must act—no more excuses. They must work with members of the opposition to get this legislation through. Labour is ready to support it. The people of Ireland overwhelmingly support it. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must not backtrack.”
Labour councillor John Walsh added that by not backing the bill, the government would be appeasing the Trump administration “and his far-right cronies.”